Never Say Goodbye
by blackdragon333
Summary: Yoshimo Sachiko. Sent to Suna as a Konohan ambassador, she's hated by the Sunians. She goes from being liked to being an outcast, and for the first time knows the pain of loneliness. One other Sunian ninja knows that pain...Gaara. But will he accept her?
1. To Suna

Hi there everybody! I'm BlackDragon333. I'm usually known as Dragon-chan or BD333. I've had a couple of good stories, but they were with easier characters, like Itachi/Iruka/Kakashi and Shino. This is the first story I've ever tried with Gaara that I've actually taken seriously. The first chapter here doesn't even have him in it, which is why the second chapter is going up right after this, tomorrow sometime.

Anyhow, I know that sometimes I tend to simplify relationships between characters. I'm going to try so hard not to this time, but if I do, please don't flame me. I know I'm pretty terrible. I try, though. Please be nice:D

Anyhow. Here's the first chapter!

YEAH

"What?! No way, Mom, we can't move! Dad, no, we gotta stay-!"

Her father's face hardened against his daughter's pleas, knowing that if he showed her any weakness she would exploit it without even realizing it, as ninjas will. "Yoshimo Sachiko, it's final. We are moving to Suna. We must."

Sachi turned pleading eyes on her mother. "Mom, please, we can't! I can't leave my friends here and move to Suna! I can't!"

Although Sachi's mother had tears in her eyes, the tone she used was one of no-nonsense. "Sachi, we've got to. Tsunade-sama has made a deal with the Sunian council. We are going to be living proof of the new ties between Suna and Konoha. Until the new Kazekage-sama is fifteen and able to be enstated as the village leader, we've been sent to Suna to show the other countries that Konoha will be there to aid them."

Sachi's ears perked up at that. "So...we're only staying there until the new Kazekage comes of age?" She asked with hope shining in her eyes.

Her mother looked away, and her father took over, his heart nearly breaking at the panicked expression in his little girl's eyes. "No, Sachi. We're going to live there."

The hope died in Sachi's eyes. Instead of crying and screaming, which her parents could handle, she merely stood and walked to her room as if in a trance.

"Honey..." Began her mother.

Her father shook his head. "I'm sorry, Nari. But our village needs us."

Her mother, unhappy with her husband, stood. "Well, so does our daughter."

Saying that, she walked off to her daughter's room, only to let out a scream. The window was open, and Sachi was gone.

Sachi wasn't running away, as her mother feared. She was going to say goodbye to Neji, her steady boyfriend of the past six months. With tears in her eyes, she found him training by himself in their favorite training spot. They had trained there so many times, and it was the spot where he had first kissed her. She sighed, remembering how hard it had been for her to get him to trust her, and what had finally done him in.

_"Why?! Why do you care so much? Why is it that you want me to trust you?! You barely even know me, and yet you care so much...why?!"_

_"Please..." Tears shone in her eyes. "...please, don't yell..."_

_With effort, he held in his screams. In a calmer tone, he asked, "Why do you care?"_

_She looked up at him in surprise. "You're hurting inside. I...I just want to help."_

That simple answer had been enough to get him to befriend her, and as their friendship grew, they developed stronger feelings for each other. Remembering this, Sachi let out a sob and ran to Neji, the most cherished of her friends in Konoha.

"Sachi!" Exclaimed Neji, dropping his kunai in surprise, then moving his hand to her back as she embraced him. "What is it, Sachi? What's wrong?"

"I...I'm moving, Neji."

"What?!" He exclaimed, a sense of urgency in his voice, but also something else. He held her close to mask that other something. "Why?"

"I...I really shouldn't say details, so...we're kind of a bond between Konoha and Suna now. I...Neji, I'm going to miss you!"

"I'll miss you too, Sachi. When are you leaving?"

"We're leaving tonight, Neji. In about five minutes. I just...I wanted to see you one last time before we left."

"Don't worry, Sachi, it'll still be the same, I promise! We can write to each other, and we'll get to see each other at the Jounin exams and everything."

She nodded. "Well...I gotta get home before they miss me. I'll see you soo---later, Neji."

"I'll see you, Sachi."

She walked down the pathway back to her house. She looked fine from the back, but to look at her face, you could see that she was crying. This time, though, it wasn't at the fact that she had to leave Neji behind. This time, it was because she had heard the relief in his voice when she had told him that she was moving.

Behind her, Neji resumed his training.

YEAH

Well, there was the first chapter. That's about all I've got there for this chapter, so yeah, we're gonna have to go with that. Hope you liked it!

:D

Dragon-chan loves reviews!


	2. Enter Gaara, The Unlikely Sympathizer!

Ok ok, I know I should've waited another day to put up this chapter, but it's a Gaara fanfic, and I have to introduce him. So, here's chapter two/dos/deux/ni. Lol it's fun to be multilingual, although I only speak two languages. English/spanish

Congrats to Luna.The.Betrayed.Ninja for being my first reviewer, and to gare de lyon - ROAR (yeah thats all one thingy lol) for being my first...well he's the first one to put this thing on an alert:D

YEAH

Sachi followed sadly behind her parents as they entered Suna. Sullenly, she trod along at the farthest distance behind them as they would allow, following to her new house. When they entered the house, she saw that it was bigger than their house in Konoha. She didn't care. She wasn't home.

'Here I am, in a strange house in a strange village, and what do my parents have to say to me? 'Go explore town, Sachi! Who knows what you'll find?' I don't know, but I don't care, either.' She thought in disgust. 'I don't care what it is, but it won't be the same. It's not Konoha, that's for sure.'

After becoming aquainted with her room, she grabbed her favorite stuffed animal and hid it in her backpack, bringing it along with her. She hadn't done that in years, but she was scared, as much as she hated to admit it. Afraid to start over, and afraid to make new friends, afraid of forgetting the old ones.

She was walking along the street when she was approached by a group of kids. She looked uncertainly at them, not sure if they were friendly or hostile. Their leader, a black-haired boy who looked about her age, stepped forward.

"So. You're the new kid, huh?" He looked her up and down. "You're pretty pale, and you look wimpy. I guess Konoha isn't much of a village if this is how their ninja look."

Sachi bit her tongue, knowing that she was there to make diplomatic relationships easier between the two countries. If she screwed this up, she'd be letting down her village. She had her temper under control.

Until, that is, the boy took her headband.

In a frenzied rage, she punched him in the stomach, grabbed her headband from his hand, and put it back on. Coldly, she looked at him. "I was willing to try and make friends here. I just left my home, my friends, and everything I care about behind me to come here, to your village, to try to make it easier for our countries to get along. But, I guess it's not meant to be. I haven't known you for five minutes, yet already you've taken my headband and insulted me. If all of the ninja in your village are like you...our alliance is in trouble."

With that, she turned and walked away. Not before one girl, a slender auburn-haired girl who looked to be about fifteen, saw the tears in her eyes. The girl, named Aiko, frowned, her thoughts troubled. 'She...she wanted to make friends. Why did we have to be like that?'

Turning a corner, Sachi ran and ran until she was lost. As she ran, she cried, tears running down her face with no effort to stop them. Finally, she just jumped up onto a roof, sat down, and cried, pulling out her battered old puppy and hugging it tightly.

'It looks like you're going to be my only friend here, Rex. I wanted to be friends with them, but they didn't want to be friends with me. What did I do wrong?'

Just then, a tap on the shoulder interrupted her thoughts. She turned and looked up to see a redheaded boy with dark circles under his eyes glaring down at her with more hatred than she had ever seen before in her life. She squeezed Rex tighter in her arms, her eyes wide and scared, not of him but of his hatred. The boy's next words, though not hurtful in general, were spoken with intense loathing such as Sachi had never seen before.

"You're in my spot."

That was when Sachi really began to cry.

Gaara stared down at her, bewildered. 'What is this? Plenty of people have hated me, and many have run in fear. But I've never made one cry before.'

Sachi, ashamed of her tears, buried her face in Rex's soft plush body. Gaara nudged her with his sandal, and she looked up at him, her eyes wide and innocent, painfully vulnerable and vulnerably pain-filled. "W-what?"

"What are you crying about?" He asked. His tone was scornful, and he was looking down at her contemptuously, but he was actually curious as to why she was crying.

She hiccoughed, that sound you make when you try to strangle a sob. "I...I just moved here, and...and I...I miss everyone so much, but...I was going to try to make friends with you guys here, but..._you_ hate me already, and those other kids...they insulted me, then took my headband. I punched the one guy in the stomach and took my headband back, so now I've got no chance at all of befriending anyone. I'm going to be all alone!" She wailed.

That struck Gaara like she had just punched him in the heart. He looked at her in a whole new light. She wasn't some wimpy kunoichi, as he had first assumed. He knew instinctively that she was just a rather innocent girl, tossed out into unfamiliar circumstances with no hope of going back to the way things had been. However, he still wasn't used to dealing with people in general, so all he said was, "You're still in my spot."

With a few sobs, she stood up. He sat down where she had been. As he heard her walking away, sobbing all the while, he made up his mind and called, "Hey."

She turned to look at him.

He didn't actually smile, but he did ease up on his frown a bit. "All I said was that you were in my spot. I didn't say you had to leave."

That brought a happy smile to her face, and she came over and sat down next to him, brushing her tears away as she did. She was a bit too close for his comfort, but, given her situation and his desperation to earn a friend, he let her stay there. She sat there, hugging her dog and sniffling quietly, until he looked over at her.

"So." He looked at her quietly. "Suppose we start from the beginning?"

YEAH

So, that was the second chapter, and that was Gaara's entrance! I hope he was sufficiently cold? Anyhow...I hope you guys liked it! And remember...

Dragon-chan likes her reviews :D


	3. Explanations

Good morning, world! Dragon-chan is back, with another chapter! YAY! I tried to make Gaara cold, but about here, I gave up. He's still stand-offish, but after all, this takes place after he fought Naruto, so he's trying to be friendlier now. Anyhow...here it is!

!!!YEAH!!!

"...and so we came here, to prove that Konoha really trusts Suna. We're here to show that, until the new Kazekage comes of age, Konoha will back Suna up on anything...proof that our countries are improving diplomatic relationships."

'This is it.' Gaara looked at her quietly. 'Time to test her. If she fails this, she's just like the others, and I'll know never to trust her, no matter how hard she tries to gain my trust. If she passes...well...I don't know what then. No matter. It's time.'

He spoke carefully in the quiet tone she was beginning to recognize as his casual voice. "So, I guess this is all the Kazekage-in-training's fault?"

She put up her hands. "Oh, no, it's not his fault! It's no one's fault. It's just a twist of fate that brought this to be. No, this is just a crazy whim of destiny."

He was surprised. 'She...passed?'

Her mind was elsewhere. "Hey---what's your name?"

"Gaara."

"My name's Sachi." She replied before realizing, "Hey! You have the same name as the Kazekage-in----wait. You _are_ the Kazekage-in-training!"

He nearly smiled at that. "Good job. You're not a shinobi for nothing, now are you."

She wasn't sure if it was an insult or a compliment, so she just said, "Why didn't you tell me straight away?"

"It didn't seem important." He muttered.

"Yeah, okay. You sure you just didn't trust me?" She asked.

When his eyes widened, she knew she had just hit the nail on the head.

'How did she know that?' Gaara asked himself quietly. '_How?'_

She, meanwhile, was smiling at him. "Don't bother to answer. I _am_ a shinobi, you're right, and I can see by your expression that I'm right."

Gaara, meanwhile, had been unnerved by this kunoichi and her uncanny ability to tell what he was thinking. He didn't know that Konohan shinobi were trained not only in physical strength, intelligence, and jutsus, but also in psychology as well. Sachi had done exceptionally well in her psychology classes, taking on books and concepts that were of a much higher level than the ones her classmates could handle. Her sensei had even gone so far as to allow Sachi to interview a few minor criminals, and each time, Sachi had uncovered their motivations for their crimes. The strange thing was, it wasn't because of the psychology courses that she had been able to do it. Sachi just had an unnatural ability to relate to people. That, combined with her psychology training and an inbred compassion for others, had allowed her to reach out to the criminals and get their reasons.

Gaara, however, knew none of that. All he knew was that she seemed to know what he was thinking, and that she was being more friendly than anyone he had ever met before. His suspicious nature wouldn't let him just accept that, however. He immediately distanced himself from her.

"So, Gaara...what's your story?"

"Huh?"

"Well...the other Sand Shinobi were mean. Why are you being nice to me? Won't they get mad at you?"

He looked away from her. His voice cold and emotionless, he muttered, "Would it matter?"

It was a rhetorical question, but she answered it. "Yes. Won't they?"

He looked up at the clouds. "Probably. It doesn't matter anyway. They already refuse to acknowledge my existance."

"What do you mean?"

He looked at her, an utterly emotionless expression on his face. "They fear me. Out of fear grows hatred. This has gone on since I was a boy, and I'm used to it by now."

She looked at him in shock and sadness.

He mistook her sadness for fear. 'I knew it. She'll bolt any second.'

She completely shocked him when she asked one simple question.

"Why?"

He looked at her with surprise hidden behind a mask of emotionlessness. "Because I am a Jinchuuriki."

This time, he just _knew_ that she was going to run. He was absolutely _sure_ of it.

Instead, she just flopped down onto her back. "So what?"

"Jinchuuriki means-"

"I know what it means. You house a demon. So what?" She repeated. "It's not like you chose to. They should treat you as a hero for holding it and saving their asses."

He looked at her in surprise. 'This kunoichi baffles me. She's easily hurt, and she wears her heart on her sleeve, and yet...she seems rather hard-centered. This one's been hurt...she just hides it.'

'He really confuses me.' Thought Sachi, resting an arm over her eyes. 'He really needs a friend, but he won't let anybody in. Maybe...maybe he's afraid of getting hurt again? I guess that could be it.'

She wouldn't be distracted that easily, though. Removing her arm from over her head, she sat up and asked gently, "So...why do they fear you, Gaara?"

He was growing impatient with her questions, and he really didn't know how to answer that one. Instead, he mumbled, "Try to hit me."

"What? No! Why would I-!"

"Just do it. I won't let you hit me, I promise. You wanted to know why the village kids fear me...but I don't know how to explain. I've got to show you."

She looked at him uncertainly, and he sighed impatiently. "Just do it!"

She swallowed her doubts and threw a half-hearted punch at his chest. She was shocked when a wall of sand sprang up against her fist. She wasn't prepared for the painful sensation, like getting a brushburn but ten times worse. She was shocked when the sand closed itself around her fist and began to squeeze. Gaara stopped it before any more damage could be done.

"Do you understand now?"

She nodded, unable to speak.

"I see...so now that you know, you're just as afraid of me as they are." He nodded.

She found her voice. "No. But those kids are really dumb. If they hadn't attacked you, they never would have been harmed."

That revelation shocked Gaara. Sachi saw that, and she understood that she'd be rather wise to let him think about that for a while, so she stood up. Judging by the sun, it was nearly seven. Since it was summer there in Suna, the sun wouldn't set for another hour or two.

"Well, it looks like it's nearly seven. I left the house around three, which means my mom probably thinks I'm lost. Actually...I _am_ lost. Do you know how to get to Chikyuu Avenue?"

He raised an arm and extended a finger. She had run in a full scale circle, because her street was directly parallel to the street below them. She smiled at him. "Thanks! I'll come back tomorrow morning. Will you be here?"

He just looked at her for a long time. She got the feeling that he was sizing her up. No one, not even the Kazekage of Suna, was going to judge her, so she stiffened and held herself more proudly. When she did that, he didn't smile, but his frown lessened to a neutral expression.

"...I'll be here."

She grinned. "Great! See you later, Gaara!"

With her voice echoing in his head, he watched as she jumped across the rooftops to her house. Then, knowing that he'd end up thinking about her as the night grew darker, he watched the sunset, enjoying the mindblank that came with it.

!!!YEAH!!!

So, there's chapter three. WOOOOO! I'm excited :D

Remember, guys, Dragon-Chan loves getting reviews! I actually prefer reviews to favorites or alerts...although all three would be wondrous:D


	4. Never Say Goodbye

Here's chapter four! I'm excited, guys! 3 chapters and 6 reviews...that's two per chapter! Maybe we can get three reviews per chapter? THAT WOULD ROCK! As I'm sure you know by now, Dragon-Chan loves reviews!

!!!YEAH!!!

Early the next morning, an hour after sunrise, Sachi was sitting next to Gaara on the roof they had been sitting on the day before. She noticed that the brighter it got, the happier he seemed.

'Odd...' She thought. 'Maybe one day, when we're closer, I'll stay with him at night.'

"So how are you today, Gaara?" she asked happily with a yawn.

He blinked in surprise, not used to being asked that question. "Fine."

"That's good." She said happily. "So what did you do last night?"

"Fought down Shukaku's bloodlust."

"Oh." She paused. "Want some breakfast?"

He looked at her questioningly. "What?"

She just smiled. "I'll be right back."

About ten minutes later, she came back with sausage and scrambled eggs on a plate. She offered the plate to Gaara, who just looked at it in her hands, confused. "What is this?"

"Uh...breakfast?"

"No, I mean...this thing." He pointed to a sausage. "What's that?"

"That's a sausage. You didn't know that?"

He shook his head.

"Hmm..."

Inside her head, she was grinning. 'Yes! I'm definitely going to make breakfast for him every morning now!'

On the outside, she just offered him the plate. "Here. Just eat."

He took the plate and the fork she handed to him hesitatingly. She watched his expression as he carefully bit into a sausage. His eyes widened slightly. "This is...good."

She smiled happily. "I'll make you breakfast every morning, if you'd like."

"No. Once is enough." He cleaned his plate, then did something that was almost completely new to him. "T-thank you."

She smiled brightly at him. "You're welcome, Gaara. It was no problem."

They sat there together in silence for the rest of the morning. It wasn't an awkward silence, and it wasn't an angry silence, either. It was simply the silence shared by two people who know that every minute doesn't have to be filled with the sound of their own voices.

And the days went on like that. Every morning, an hour after sunrise, Sachi was sitting with Gaara on their roof. Slowly, _very_ slowly, he began to get used to her presence. She saw it in the new, relaxed way he held himself. She saw it when he spoke to her without being spoken to first. She even saw it in his eyes when she looked at him. Around anyone but her, his eyes closed up and hardened, becoming cold and emotionless in seconds. But when they were alone, which was most of the time, his eyes unshuttered, and she was able to see how he was feeling. She wasn't always one hundred percent accurate, but she saw enough there to get by.

Days wore into weeks, and weeks wore into months. Time passed by slowly and lethargically. Missions were scarcer in Suna than in Konoha, and Sachi was still in training to learn to fight in the desert, so she was able to spend her mornings happily by Gaara's side. Early one morning, however, things changed. To start with, she was half an hour late to meet Gaara at their spot. He wondered what was going on, and he had just begun to become paranoid when she finally showed up.

Straight off, she realized that his eyes still had that shuttered look. Immediately, she began to apologize. "Oh, Gaara, I'm so sorry! My parents woke up early, and they kept me for a while to tell me that we're going back to Konoha soon, and I couldn't rush or they'd get suspicious, so I had to wait around for a little while."

"What?" He asked her urgently, leaning forward. His eyes had unshuttered, and she now saw the urgent look in them. He spoke again. "What was that first part you said?"

"My parents woke up early? Oh, wait! You thought-! When I mentioned Konoha, you thought I meant-! No, no!" She laughed happily. "We're staying right here. We just have to go back to clean out the rest of our things and prepare the house for sale."

Immediately, Gaara relaxed into his normal uninterested pose. Sachi giggled. "Nice try, Gaara. I can see right through that."

It was the first time she had teased him, and he simply raised a non-existant eyebrow in a questioning expression. She blushed a little, embarrassed. "Sorry."

He raised half of his mouth in a quirky half-smile. "You'd better be."

Sachi laughed at that. Then, she sobered. "Anyway, Gaara...I'll be out of Suna for nearly a week. Will you...will you be okay without me?"

He looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "I was alright without you for fourteen years."

She tried to smile at him, but her feelings were hurt rather badly.

Gaara saw this, and he instantly repented. "But you should definitely hurry back."

This time, when she smiled at him, it was a real smile.

He looked at her with what she had come to recognize as his questioning look. "So...why haven't you told your parents about me?"

"Well...you see...I don't know if they would approve. I mean, you're going to be the Kazekage...they're weird like that. They didn't like me hanging out with Naruto for the same reason. Besides that...I kinda want them to feel a little guilty because they'll think I don't have any friends here."

"Are you sure they only disliked Naruto because he could become Hokage? Not because he is a Jinchuuriki?"

Sachi's eyes widened. "What? My parents wouldn't...they wouldn't! There's no way they would be prejudiced like that, no way!"

Gaara gave her the look that meant he was laughing on the inside. "Alright, alright. Calm down."

She laughed. "Sorry about that."

Just then, Sachi and Gaara looked up at the same time. Her parents were calling her name. Sachi shouldered her backpack quickly. "Well, Gaara...I guess it's time for me to go. I'll see you later."

"Goodbye."

The way he said it, it sounded final to Sachi, like if she left now she would never see him again. She hated the way it sounded. Although she knew from experience that he didn't enjoy being touched, she had to. His eyes widened slightly when she leaned over and hugged him. Spontaneously, since she was there already, she kissed his cheek. "It's not goodbye, Gaara." She said, her hands resting firmly on his shoulders. "Never say goodbye. It's see you later."

Then, she was gone.

Gaara watched as she landed behind her parents, startling them. As he watched them leaving the village, he raised a hand to his cheek and gingerly touched where her lips had touched him. He felt warmth emanating from his cheeks and understood that he was blushing. He watched Sachi leave the village a few steps behind her parents. '_What_ was that?'

When Sachi sneakily turned and waved, Gaara's hand was waving before he really even realized it. He could see her grin, even from his distance. Then, she turned and ran.

He sighed. 'I'm getting too attached.'

!!!YEAH!!!

Well, there's chapter four! wOOOOOOOO! I hope you guys liked it! Also, I'm trying to decide if I should bring Aiko back. Remember her, from chapter two? If I do have her befriend Sachi, it'll be WAY later, like chapter 20ish. I don't know if she should even be able to befriend Gaara yet. I might just have her befriend Sachi and inadvertently cause fights between Sachi and Gaara. Review and tell me what you think, even if you haven't left me a review yet! I promise I'll take what you guys say into consideration.

As always...Dragon-Chan loves reviews! (and favorites :D)

Oh, oh yes. It has recently come to my attention that one MistFairie93 and one Luna.The.Betrayed.Ninja have both reviewed EVERY chapter. Yes, thats one review for every one chapter they read. I LOVE YOU BOTH!!!! And Gare De Lyon - ROAR has reviewed 2/3 chapters. I LOVE YOU TOO! And to the rest of you...if they can review EVERY chapter, I don't think it'd be too much to ask for a review from you guys every chapter or two. Pardon my nagging ;

I'm just glad I haven't gotten any flames yet:D


	5. Caught in the Act

Here it is! Chapter 5! Sorry I haven't updated, but I'm lazy. I'd make excuses like some other people do, but...I'm just lazy. :D

!!!YEAH!!!

"What are you so nervous about, Sachi?" Sachi's mother asked with a grin.

"Nothing." Sachi said innocently, fidgeting as she sealed up more of their stuff in scrolls.

Her father came over and put a hand on her shoulder. "Go find Neji. We'll finish up here."

"Thanks, Daddy!" Sachi grinned, hugged him, and ran out the door.

'Oh my god, I can't believe I get to see Neji again so soon!' Screamed Sachi's brain as she sprinted along the path to their training spot. 'Yes!'

Suddenly, her ninja instinct commanded her to stop. She stopped in her tracks and ducked behind a tree quickly. No matter how excited she was to finally see Neji again, she always obeyed her instincts. She turned slowly and peeked out from behind the tree, and she nearly felt her heart snap in half.

Neji's lips were pressed against TenTen's.

Sachi, however, wasn't one to take something like that lying down. She strode over to Neji and tapped him on the shoulder.

"What?! Can't you see I'm bus-" Neji broke off as he whirled around to see Sachi. "Oh...uh...hey, Sachi. What are you doing here?"

She put a hand on her hip and tapped her opposite foot. Her voice, when she spoke, was tight and crisp with anger. "Yeah. Hey."

Neji swallowed. "This...it's not what it looks like, Sachi. You see...I..."

"Yeah, Neji. I see alright." She growled. "I can see just fine."

TenTen stood sheepishly behind Neji. "Uh...maybe I should go..."

"Oh, no. No need, TenTen." Spat Sachi, reminding both Neji and TenTen of a snarling wolverine for some unknown reason. "You go right ahead and kiss him, because God knows you'll be the only one now." She turned to walk away. Then, she paused and turned. "But, then again...if he did it to me, who's to say he won't do it to you, too?"

That was when she walked off. She was feeling slightly guilty, knowing that now that she had planted the seeds of doubt in TenTen's mind, they would always be there, and they would grow with every fight the two of them had. Other than that, though, she didn't really care. 'I guess that would explain the relief I heard in his voice.'

As she headed home, however, her anger mounted. By the time she had reached the end of the path, she was nearly growling. To get her anger back down to controllable level, she ran the rest of the way to her old home.

Her mother looked up as she heard the door slamming. "Sachi, you're back already? You didn't need to hurry..." She broke off as she saw the look on her daughter's face. "What's the matter, honey?"

"Nothing. Let's just hurry up so we can go home."

"Home?" asked her father.

"Back to Suna." She added the next part in her mind. 'And Gaara.'

Her parents exchanged a look of surprise. Their daughter, who had been so sullen on the journey there, now called Suna her home? They were under the impression that she spent her time exploring and had next to no friends there. Why would she want to go back so badly?

Anger fueled her jutsu speed, and she had the rest of her family's stuff sealed up in scrolls, which she shoved into her backpack. "Can we go now?"

Her parents looked at each other, then hesitantly nodded.

"Good. Let's move out."

Sachi slammed out the front door. She was at the front gates of Konoha before her parents were even out of the house. Just then, Neji walked up to her.

"Sachi, please...don't let it end like this. You and I...we were friends before we were more than that! Please...you don't know the whole story-"

He broke off then just as her parents were walking up, but not because of their appearance. He broke off because she slapped him, hard enough to knock him off balance so that he fell backwards to the ground. Just then, as they entered hearing distance, she leaned over him and screamed in his face. "Don't you tell me that I don't know the whole story, Hyuuga Neji! You went behind my back and kissed one of my friends while I was in another village! I don't want to hear it! Goodbye, Neji. Goodbye forever!"

She shoved past him and out the gates. Her parents looked at him sadly as they followed her, but although they liked him, she was the only child they had, and they loved her more.

And ahead of them, striding down the path, Sachi was beginning to cry.

'I gotta get to Gaara...'

!!!YEAH!!!

So there's Chapter 5! Please tell me what you think about it (in review form lol) because, as you all know by now...Dragon-chan loves reviews!

:D


	6. Making a Breakthrough

Ok you guys, it's 3 AM and Dragon-chan just woke up her momma ; Gotta be quiet now. Here's the chapter!

!!!YEAH!!!

Sachi sat on her bed, silently staring at the wall and stroking her kitten, Aiji. She sighed sadly. How...how could Neji do that to her? Go behind her back and kiss her best friend while she was in another village? It seemed like the kind of thing they put in movies and books, not the sort of thing that happened in real life.

Sachi and her parents had arrived in Suna at about ten o'clock the previous evening. Knowing that her parents would have gotten suspicious if she had run off to 'explore' at ten at night, she forced herself to wait until the next morning. She sat up all night, unable to sleep because of just how hurt she was. In the night, when everything was unfamiliar and Sachi's mental defenses were down, she became insecure. 'Is this...my fault? Didn't I fight hard enough to stay with him?'

Almost before the sunrise, Sachi was up and running to find Gaara.

Gaara looked up in surprise as Sachi climbed up to sit beside him. Not that he hadn't heard her coming, but in surprise at the hour of day she had come to visit him.

"You're here earlier than you usually are." He remarked quietly.

She nodded. "I couldn't sleep."

Her soft tone of voice told him that something was wrong. He surprised himself when he mumbled, "Why not?"

She looked up at him, shocking him with the tears in her eyes. "My...my boyfriend, Neji...he...well, he..."

Gaara cleared his throat, which was, for him, a kind way to say 'get to the point'. Sachi took the hint. "Neji...I caught him kissing TenTen."

Gaara's only reaction was to raise a non-existent eyebrow in her general direction. Then, he sat back and looked up at the sunrise. "What an asshole."

She looked up in surprise. "Y-you mean it's not my fault?"

He looked over at her. "Why would it be your fault? The way you tell it, your parents nearly had to drag you here. You were taken to a strange village against your will. You had no choice. Your boyfriend is the one at fault. While you were missing him, he went behind your back to kiss your friend."

Surprisingly, Sachi wasn't upset by his bluntness. She thought about it for a second, then decided that he was right. She dropped down onto her back. "I guess you're right, Gaara. Neji's the one at fault, not me." She smiled over at him, although he was still watching the sunrise. "I'm glad you're here to straighten things out for me."

An odd expression crossed his face. His facial features didn't change in the slightest, and he didn't say anything, but a light appeared in his eyes. It took Sachi a minute to realize that he was happy. When she did, however, she had the good sense not to mention it. Instead, she just smiled. "I really am glad you're here."

Gaara's mind was going into a panic. 'Should I say it? Should I? No...I can't say it, no, she'd just think I'm a creep and a loser and a monster, like everyone else. I won't say it.'

Although he thought that, his body had other plans. Almost without his realizing it, his mouth opened, and he turned away from the sunrise to look at her. "I'm glad you're here as well."

'Fuck.' He thought in somewhat of a panic. 'I can't believe I said it! She's going to think...I don't even know what she'll think, but it can't be good! No one cares enough about me to-'

Sachi, however, wasn't just anyone. As she put her hand on his shoulder, she smiled, accepting the fact that the sand armor sprang up between her hand and his skin without acknowledging or questioning it. "Thanks, Gaara. I really needed to hear that today."

As she removed her hand, laid down, and covered her eyes with her arm, she missed Gaara's expression. The corners of his mouth twitched slightly, the very beginning of a smile.

Just as her words had assured him, his words had put her at ease. Tired now from the lack of sleep she had gotten the previous night, she fell asleep quickly. As she slept, he watched her. Surprising himself, he reached out to place a strand of her hair back behind her ear. He was more surprised when she smiled in her sleep. He had turned towards her, and now she snuggled against him in her sleep. Apparently she wasn't comfortable, because she scooted up until her head was in his lap. He had leaned back in horror, trying to avoid this prolonged contact without waking her up, but to no avail. With a contented sigh, she nuzzled her cheek into his leg, rested her hand on his leg in front of her face, and fell deeply into sleep.

Gaara, meanwhile, was in something rather close to shock. As he sat there, numb, his eyes were drawn to the soft brown hair that tumbled across his lap. He watched her sides rise and fall with her breathing, and he sat up slowly, easing himself into close contact with another human. Gently, so as not to awake her, he rearranged her hair so that it laid against her shoulders again. Now that his panic was gone and his heart was beating more normally, he decided that he could stand some contact with this particular human, but not on a daily basis. Just this once, and only while she was asleep.

The future Kazekage of the Hidden Sand Village turned his attention from the dark-haired kunoichi whose head was in his lap to the sunrise. His right hand found its way to rest on her arm as she slept, reassuring her on some subconscious level that he was there. If Sachi had been awake, though, she would have been shocked.

Sabaku no Gaara, the Jinchuuriki of Sunagakure, had a smile on his face. A _real_ smile. Not the bloodthirsty smile he usually wore, but a real smile that would've told Sachi that she was making real progress with him, had she been awake.

Too bad she wasn't.

!!!YEAH!!!

I can't believe Sachi missed his first smile! Well I mean I wrote it, so I can believe it, but...ahh you guys know what I mean.

As always...Dragon-chan loves her reviews :D


	7. The Plot Thickens

Short chapter this time...kind of a disappointment, I know, I've disappointed myself with this one :(

But, it's 4 AM and I'm tired ;

!!!YEAH!!!

The whole time Sachi and Gaara had been talking, a man from the Sunian council of elders had been watching them. He was tense and on edge the whole time, waiting for Gaara to kill the Konohan kunoichi and therefore make the perfect excuse to kill him. When his chance never came, the man was disappointed. He knew now, though, that the girl was the first thing, besides Gaara himself, that Gaara had cared about in a long time, and also that she would come back every morning at the same time. He was going to use that to his full advantage. He had also learned, however, that Sachi was the first person to actually care about Gaara enough to get close to him in his entire life. Although he should have been wondering just why she cared about him, why she was able to get close to him when no one in his village had been able to, and if he really was the monster that his village made him out to be, the man just pushed those thoughts from his mind.

After all, his job was just to kill the Kazekage-in-training.

While he schemed away the hours, Sachi had woken up. Yawning, she sat up. "Huh?" She looked behind her and realized that she would have been laying on Gaara. "Uh...was I sleeping on your lap?"

Gaara nodded calmly, now used to the idea and not in the least embarrassed.

"Oh." Sachi blushed slightly. "Sorry about that."

He looked at her questioningly. "You were tired. Why do you apologize for that?"

She shrugged. "I dunno." Then, she stretched and yawned again. "Well...what time is it?"

Gaara looked up at the sky. "It seems about noon."

Sachi leapt to her feet. "Crap! I told my parents I'd be home around ten! They're probably ready to kill me!"

Gaara just watched her lazily and unconcernedly. "Better get going, then."

"I'll see you later, ok? I wasn't much company this morning...why don't I stay with you up here tonight?"

The councilman's ears perked up.

Gaara looked at her. "What do you mean?"

"Can I come visit you tonight? I didn't pay enough attention to you this morning."

"You don't have to come to sit with me tonight, but if it will make you feel better, you may."

She smiled at the same time the councilman did. While hers was a happy one, his was an evil one. "Thanks, Gaara! I'll be here around ten, ok? I'll have to sneak out."

He nodded. "Go now, before your parents come looking for you."

"Right."

"Goodbye, then."

She looked up with an oddly sharp look showing through from behind her shield of happiness. "Never say goodbye, Gaara. I'm leaving, but it's not forever. The only time you should say goodbye is when you'll never see the person again. So...see you later."

"Good-" He broke off. "See you."

She grinned. Waving, she jumped from their roof to the one across from them, ran across that one and the adjacent one, and jumped down to land in front of her house. Gaara watched her go inside, and he sighed.

'What have I gotten myself into?'

The councilman, meanwhile, was happy with himself. He hadn't seen her enter her house, so he didn't know where to wait to ambush her, but he did know that she was coming to meet Gaara at ten.

'I'll be waiting, kid. Don't be late.'

!!!YEAH!!!

Well, there it is. As always, Dragon-chan loves reviews, and especially ones from new reviewers :D


	8. The Fight!

Oh my god you guys I'm SO sorry it took so long! I wasn't being lazy (for once lol). This time it was because I was working really hard on this, and Nii-san! 2: Nori's Choice to try and get them finished up. It didn't really work, cuz they're not finished yet, but I've got awhile before I have to worry. Since I made you guys wait so long for this chapter, it's super long as compensation! 

And THANK YOU to everyone who reviewed me! I LOVE YOU for it! (Hey...I bet the more reviews I get, the quicker I'll update :D)

!!!YEAH!!!  
At exactly ten o'clock, Sachi snuck out her window. Seeing that her parents' light was on, she didn't want to risk jumping up to the roof, so she instead headed through an alley. When she was on the backstreet in front of their roof, she got prepared to jump, but she jumped to the side instead of jumping up, just in time to avoid a kunai.

She whipped around, expecting one of the village kids, but paled when she looked up to see a dark haired, dark skinned man towering over her.

"Listen up." He growled. "You can come with me peacefully, or we can do this the hard way. Which do you prefer?"

She sprang back away from him and launched some shuriken. "Well, I'm sure as hell not going peacefully!"

He ducked in time to avoid a shuriken, but the second hit him in the arm. 'What? She can use a _shuriken's_ blind spot to hide another shuriken?! I could understand a Devil's Wind shuriken being able to hide another...those things are huge. But a small shuriken like that...to use the blind spot would require absolute precision. How was she able to do that?'

She grinned angrily. "Yeah. We'll do it the hard way. The question is...who is it going to be hard for?"

He frowned, then launched himself at her. They were too close to the buildings for ninjutsu, and they had too much adrenaline in them for genjutsu, so it was taijutsu or weapons. Sachi preferred taijutsu when she was close to an opponent, and tended to use weaponry only for long range attacks. Therefore, when he came close, they engaged in a taijutsu battle. For five long minutes, they fought, until Sachi spotted an opening. Instantly, her foot cracked him in the face, sending him flying into a wall twenty feet away.

She grinned. "That's right. Looks like it was the hard way for you."

She turned to jump up onto the roof again, but she stopped, sensing something. She pressed her back against the wall as a large group of guys surrounded her in a semi-circle. As they pressed further and further in towards her, her eyes flashed dangerously. Although she preferred taijutsu, she knew she wouldn't be able to use it. So she slid her hand into her backpack and pulled out her weapons of choice, her Havoc Blades.

They were like oversized scythe blades with small handles. She held the hand-sized handles right next to the blades. The jagged edges on them would be able to rip when they entered an opponent's body, but Sachi only used them as slashers, not to puncture. As they surrounded her, she slashed back and forth quickly, managing to wound several of them, but there were just too many. Now that their leader was gone, she knew that instead of being taken to wherever he had wanted her to go, she would be killed. That thought put fresh adrenaline through her system, and she angrily slashed with renewed vehemance. However, it still wasn't enough. She was covered in blood, both her own and her opponents', when suddenly, they stopped moving.

Sachi saw that they were staring at something on the roof above her head. She looked up too, and saw Gaara glaring down at her attackers. He was looking scarier than she had ever seen him, his eyes radiating danger. His cold, normally unemotional voice rang out with barely hidden rage as he glared down at them all, the stars forming a background behind him and the black velvet backdrop of night creating a striking contrast with his dark red hair. He spoke five words, his voice filled with badly hidden anger as he spat them through his teeth.

"Step away from the kunoichi."

Those words brought them back to their 'senses'. Instead of doing that, they did just the opposite. They attacked her even more fiercely. Suddenly, she found a wall of sand between her and her attackers, forming a protective semi-circular cage around her. As she stood there, stunned, Gaara jumped down beside her. "What is this?"

"I don't know. Their leader wanted me for something, but he's unconscious, so I don't think they'll follow his orders."

He looked at her, really looked, for the first time. "You're hurt, Sachi."

She looked down at her bloody clothing. "Just scratches. I can handle it, Gaara, don't worry. I'll still fight."

"No need." He murmured.

The sand wall began to recede, but it trapped all of the attackers in sand coffins.

"Sabakukyuu no-"

"No!"

Gaara looked at Sachi, whose hand was in his to stop him from crushing her attackers. They watched her in shock, nearly all of them wondering why she wasn't letting him kill them. The most experienced one of them, the one who had known of Gaara the longest, was wondering why Gaara wasn't killing her.

Gaara, meanwhile, was just puzzled. "They would have killed you, Sachi. Why not kill them before they get the chance?"

"Because, Gaara, killing's not good! They have families, and people who care about them. By killing just one person, you turn an entire family's lives upside-down. Mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, husbands, wives, sons, daughters, friends...when you kill just one man, you affect all of them. There are seven of them here right now. If you kill all seven of them, you will be affecting the lives of near to a hundred people. Are you really willing to do that?"

Gaara had never thought about it like that before. He looked at their faces, and in them, saw the things that Sachi saw. Not just the ninja part of them, but the part of them that was a human, with thoughts, feelings, and family ties. He lowered his hand, and the sand fell away.

"No. No, I'm not."

Sachi smiled. "Good!" Then, she turned to the group of shinobi that were standing there, stunned. She raised an eyebrow. "I wouldn't push him, if I were you."

Instantly, they were gone.

Sachi looked up at Gaara. "So...wanna go sit down?"

He nodded, and he and Sachi jumped up to their roof. As they sat there quietly together, Sachi pulled a first aid kit out of her backpack, which she had taken with her earlier when she had set out to meet Gaara in the first place. As she wiped the blood away from her skin, Gaara watched her intently. She felt his eyes on her and began to become selfconscious. As she wet a cloth with a bottle of water and began to wash her wounds off, she looked up at Gaara, who was staring at her largest bloody scratch.

"Uh...Gaara?"

Her voice snapped him out of his trance, and he looked up at her in surprise. Then, his eyes narrowed sadly. "Does it...hurt?"

Sachi shrugged. "A little bit, but not too badly." She cringed as she poured peroxide on her biggest cut. "This hurts worse than getting it. But then again, I guess that's just the price you have to pay. Once you get hurt, you have to hurt a little more to start healing. When it's done healing, however, that skin will be tougher than it was before."

Gaara understood the hidden meanings in her words, but he made no comment. Instead, he reached out and touched her blood. "I...I don't understand. This is your own blood...why are you not upset?"

She smiled. "I see my own blood all the time, Gaara. I get in fights and get cuts and scrapes on a near-daily basis. It just doesn't bother me because I'm so used to seeing it."

As she spoke, she applied ointment to her scrapes, then smiled at Gaara again. "Don't worry, ok? I'll be fine."

He nodded, then looked up at the moon. They sat in silence for a little while, until Sachi murmured, "I...thanks for saving me, Gaara...I wouldn't have made it on my own."

"If you had been aiming to kill, you would have."

"What?" She asked, surprised.

"If you had wanted to kill them, you would've been able to hold your own. You most likely would've won. Think about it. You just fought seven Jounin from Sunagakure, the second strongest country. All you got was scratches. If you had tried to kill them, you would most definitely have come out on top."

She nodded. "I suppose so. But I don't like killing unless it's necessary." She sat back. "Why do you think they were after me?"

"To get to me."

"What?"

"Periodically, the village council will try to kill me. No one has ever lived before, but now that I let them live, they'll more than likely come back again."

"Gaara, that's...that's horrible! Why...bastards!" Sachi grimaced.

That was the last sentence she spoke for about an hour. When she was nearly falling asleep on Gaara's shoulder, he spoke. "Sachi."

"Hmm?" She mumbled, leaning on his shoulder.

"Go home."

"Why? I want to stay here with you."

He could tell she was tired by the way she spoke. "You're tired, Sachi. You were just in a big fight, and it's nearly midnight. You need some sleep."

"Gaara, no...I just got back from nearly a week of not seeing you, and I didn't get to spend any time with you this morning because I fell asleep on you then, and now-"

"Now you're going to fall asleep on me again." He sighed mentally as he felt her head touch his shoulder as her fatigue worsened, knowing that he'd most likely end up talking her to sleep. "Hey. Come on, Sachi. Get up."

She sighed. "Do I have to?"

"Yes."

She sat up slowly, then paused for a second, looking confused. Then, she fell over him. Her ribs were touching his right leg, and her head rested on her arms, which rested on his left leg, as she slept. He sighed. "Damn it. Not again..."

He looked down at her, considering whether or not he should wake her up and send her back to her house to go to bed. Just then, however, his keen eyes spotted a ninja following her tracks to her home. He decided he'd let her sleep. Automatically, as he saw the ninja look up at them, his arm slid over her lower back protectively, his hand coming to rest on her waist. The ninja turned away and jumped off. Gaara knew that, on the one hand, he had reconfirmed the fact that yes, he did tolerate (care for) this kunoichi. On the other hand, though, he had also confirmed that she was under his protection.

He sighed as her hand tightened on his pant leg and she began to dream. 'Oh great. A nightmare.' Gently, he rubbed her back reassuringly until her hand relaxed. 'This is going to be a long night...'

Even in her sleep, however, she surprised him. After that, she simply laid in his lap, sleeping soundly until morning. When she woke, she didn't immediately sit up like the last time she had fallen asleep on his lap. This time, she just laid there, confused and wondering why she was looking at a storefront instead of the wall of her room. Until, that is, Gaara leaned down next to her ear. His next words were spoken in a teasing tone of voice.

"Good morning."  
!!!YEAH!!!  
Whoa, I bet nobody saw that coming! Ok...maybe you did. Oh well lol you didn't see it coming exactly like that:D  
As always...Dragon-Chan loves reviews!


	9. The Day After

This chapter isn't exactly all that exciting, but the next chapter is one of my absolute favorites! You'll love it when you read it, I'm sure :D  
!!!YEAH!!!  
"Gaara!" Exclaimed Sachi, flipping over in surprise.

Now she was laying on her back on his lap, his face mere inches away from hers. Her breath caught in her chest, but he didn't seem to notice as he raised an eyebrow down at her with a slight, slight smile on his face. Actually, he was wondering why his heart was pounding so fiercely, but he decided not to question it. "So...have a nice sleep?"

She nodded slowly, a confused look on her face. "What...what happened? I don't remember everything...all I can remember is fighting a bunch of people who needed me to get to you. What...was I dreaming?"

He shook his head and straightened up, allowing her to sit up. "No...no, you weren't dreaming. The council is trying to use you to get to me. That's why I didn't wake you up and send you home last night. There was a ninja following your tracks to your house. He knows where you live now."

Her eyes widened. "This is ridiculous, Gaara. I've fought plenty of enemies before, but I've never had to worry about protecting my home before. Then again...I've never had the enemy living in my home village before, either."

One side of his mouth curved up in a sarcastic smile. "Welcome to my world."

That single comment was enough to send her mind into a saddened state. 'Poor Gaara...he's right, too. He's had to live with this for the past fourteen years. I'm only going to make it harder on him. I can't do that to him...'

"Gaara...would you like me to let you alone from now on?"

"What?" He asked, taken aback.

"Do you want me to let you alone? I'm only going to make this harder on you. You've lived with this for fourteen years, and now I'm coming here and I'm going to make it easier for them to get to you. Do you want me to stay away from you?"

"No, no way!" His voice held the most emotion Sachi had heard in it yet. He saw the surprise on her face and checked himself self-consciously. "I...I mean...that would be like giving in to them. I'm not going to let them win. You should stay."

She smiled, knowing in her heart that he cared about her but didn't want to give her any leverage on him. Then, knowing that he'd trust her more if she gave him the ability to hurt her, she said, "Gaara, you're my only friend here in Suna. I don't know _what _ I'd do without you!"

He gave her a half-smile, more of a response than she had hoped for. "Thanks. I could say the same."

'Wow! He's really responding!' Sachi thought excitedly. 'He's actually smiling a little! Wow! This wasn't supposed to happen yet! I guess maybe my psychology books forgot to include extenuating circumstances.'

She grinned. Then, she heard her mother yelling for her. "Oh, crap! I've been out all morning, and I forgot to leave a note! Damn...I gotta go, Gaara! I'll see you tomorrow, ok? I'll be grounded to the house for the rest of the day for this one."

"Alright, Sachi. Goodbye."

"Not goodbye." She smiled. "See you later."

He smiled, remembering that she had said that to him before. "Yeah. That."

With a laugh, she left. Gaara watched as she went back into the house, cringing when she was greeted by an angry mother. He laughed in his mind. 'She fights off eight men that are twice her height, and she just laughs and says she's only got a few scratches. She cringes at a woman who's only a few inches taller.' He shook his head. 'I'll never understand females.'

In that respect, he was just like every other guy in the world.

!!!YEAH!!!  
Well, that was it! I added some fluff in there to make sure you guys were at least slightly interested lol. Next chapter will be up a little while from now b/c I have to send my computer in for repairs. See ya soon, and I'll expect lots of reviews waiting for me, because, as you know...  
Dragon-Chan loves reviews:D


	10. The Storm

Most exciting chapter EVAH!!!! Ok well not in the entire story, but so far, it probably is lol. Here ya go!

!!!YEAH!!!  
Sachi sat up, gasping in surprise. It was the middle of the night, and a loud crash of thunder had woken her up from a deep sleep and a happy dream. She jumped up and walked over to the window to look out at the weather. Her eyes widened as the rain crashed down against the glass, shocking her with the ferocious beating it was giving the window. She could hear it pounding a constant drumbeat on the roof, and she could feel the reverbations in her palm when she put her hand on the windowpane.

She gasped again as the lightning flashed, but not because of the lightning, although she was terrified of lightning. A sudden thought had just struck her. Well, not a thought. It was more of a name, which she said aloud, knowing that the sound of the storm would drown her voice out.

"Gaara!"

She grabbed her blanket and a big umbrella and snuck out of her room, heading towards the front door. 'Is he still out there? Oh my god, I hope he's okay...' She paused to avoid a creaking board. 'I hope he'd go inside, or at least find shelter in a doorway somewhere in a storm like this! I've got to find him!'

She slipped out the front door, the sound of the rain drowning out the creak the door made as it swung on its hinges. She battled the umbrella for control as the wind tried to sweep it away. She knew there was no way she'd make it jumping across the rooftops like that, so she detoured through an alleyway, cutting off the brute strength of the wind. Every time the lightning flashed, she cringed in terror. When she reached their building, she jumped straight up, landing right beside Gaara, who looked up at her in surprise. Rain pounded down onto his red hair, plastering it against his head. He shook from cold. He could have made a shield of sand, but water made his sand useless. He stared up at Sachi, wide-eyed with surprise. Something about the rain pouring down onto his skull made him look very vulnerable.

Sachi didn't like that very much. She sat down next to Gaara, holding the umbrella with one hand. Then, she slid the blanket over him with one arm, then took her arm back and held the umbrella over them both. Under the covers, she snuggled closer to him, ignoring the fact that his clothing was wet because she knew he'd feel bad if she pulled away. The lightning flashed again, and she cringed once more.

Gaara, meanwhile, was unsure what to make of this whole thing. He had sat through countless storms before, and no one had ever come out to him just to make sure he was doing alright. When Sachi snuggled into him, wrapping her blanket around them both, he felt himself blushing slightly. However, she didn't get any closer than that. The next time the lightning flashed, because he knew she wouldn't get any closer, he moved his arm around her waist, his hand coming to rest on her stomach, just above her belly button. She reached across herself with her left hand to rest her hand on his. After that, she simply sat with him until morning came and the storm dispersed, cringing every time.

Around three in the morning, after a particularly bad flash of lightning that caused Sachi to bury her head in Gaara's shoulder, Gaara tucked his hand under her chin and turned her face to his gently, so that she could resist if she truly wanted to. She didn't. He looked down at her face, studying her eyes intensely, his brow furrowing when the lightning flashed again and she cringed and shut her eyes, squeezing his other hand tightly.

"Why do you cringe so badly, Sachi?" He murmured softly.

"I...I'm afraid of lightning."

"Then why are you out here?"

"Because...you were out here all alone." She paused to cringe at another flash of lightning, worse than any of the ones before. When she was able to pull her face out of Gaara's shoulder, she looked up at him and finished her earlier statement. "You needed me."

He looked down at her in surprise as she squealed at another lightning flash and hid against him again. 'She...wow. I don't believe this. She's terrified, but she's putting up with it...just to keep me company.'

As she huddled against him again, he tightened his grip on her, holding the blanket shut and the umbrella steady with the other hand. His wet cheek rested on top of her soft, dry hair gently and comfortingly.

"You'll be okay, Sachi. I promise." He mumbled. "I won't let anything hurt you."

She nodded against his chest. "I know." She murmured, still cringing when she saw the lightning again. "I know I can count on you."

Gaara nearly smiled at that one.

'I should be saying that to you right now, Sachi. Not the other way around.'

!!!YEAH!!!  
Gaara's the greatest, dontcha think? I've been watching Shippuuden, and I can barely do it. It actually upsets me to see him in pain. Weird, hmm? lol

REVIEW ME!!!  
Because, as always, Dragon-Chan loves her reviews :D


	11. Getting the Sickness

Here we go! I'll be away for a couple days...well my computer will be cuz it's getting repaired. A perfect time for you guys to check out some of my other stories hinthint ;)

!!!YEAH!!!

Around seven in the morning, Sachi finally found the strength to pick her head up from Gaara's chest and out from under the covers. Around five, she had been unable to take it anymore, but instead of leaving him there alone, she had just pulled the blanket over her head. It was easier for her that way. She still saw the light from the lightning flashing through her blanket, however, so she kept herself huddled against Gaara, telling herself that the only reason she was this close was because she was scared, and the only reason he was tolerating it was because he knew she was afraid. The reason she had been able to move, however, was because the storm had finally dispersed.

"Well, Gaara...I'd better get over to my house now. My mom will freak if I'm not there when she wakes up. I'll see you later, ok?"

"Goodbye."

"Not goodbye." She smiled. "See you later."

He smiled. "See you."

She jumped off the roof and snuck back into her house through the window this time, making her bed and closing the umbrella. Tired from staying up all night, she got into pajamas, laid down, and fell asleep.

Sachi woke up four hours later feeling very sick. Her knees were weak, and she was almost unable to sit up. When she tried to stand, however, she dropped straight to her knees and fell onto her face, not even able to catch herself. When her mother found her, she was still lying face down in the carpet of her room.

"Sachi! What's wrong with you, honey, get up!" Sachi's mother helped her get back into bed. She felt her forehead. "Oh, honey, you're burning up! When your father gets home, we're going to take you to the hospital."

"No!" Sachi yelped sickly. "No hospital, no..."

"Honey, you're so sick-"

"No hospital. Give me a few days, and if I'm not better on the fourth morning, you can take me. Ok?"

Sachi's mother nodded doubtfully. "Alright...you stay here. I'll get you some soup."

"Yeah...I'm not going anywhere, mom."

Sachi's mother left, and almost immediately, Sachi went back to sleep. The next morning, her mother woke her up to get some soup.

"Mom? What...what time is it?"

"It's day two, and it's ten in the morning."

Sachi's eyes widened. "Can I go exploring?"

"What?! Your fever's getting worse...oh no..."

"No, no, mom, nevermind. It's alright. I'm fine. I'll be better in no time. See?" Sachi ate some soup, then puked it up immediately.

"Oh, honey..."

"I'm sorry, Mom...I didn't mean to..."

"Oh, I know, dear, it's alright. I'll get this cleaned up in a jiffy."

Sachi fell asleep again right after that.

Meanwhile, Gaara was on their roof, watching the door of her house anxiously. 'She's late...why is she late? Maybe...maybe her mother found out and grounded her to the house again. Maybe that's it. Yeah, definitely.' He knit his eyebrows together in worry.

'She'd never believe those kids...would she?'

!!!YEAH!!!

Well...there's the chapter! See you all in 5-7 days!

Dragon-chan loves reviews!


	12. Getting To Gaara

I'm SOOOOOO freaking sorry it took me so long! But this time, I do have a legitimate excuse...I've been in the hospital since July 17th! ; I should be coming home later today, on the 25th, and when I do, I'll be updating first thing, I promise! Even before I check my emails! So yeah. Here's chapter twelve!

!!!YEAH!!!

Sachi's eyes opened slowly, and she blinked in surprise. "What...what's going on...?"

"Sachi, sweetheart! Good morning, honey. Do you feel well enough to try some soup?"

"I...yeah, I guess..."

As her mother brought over a tray of soup, she blinked in confusion. "What...how long have I been out?"

"This is the third morning, darling. It's noon."

She struggled to sit up in shock. "No, no, it can't be! I can't...I have to go..."

"Go where, honey?" Her mother asked her suspiciously.

Even though she was sick, she was still a ninja. "Go exploring...I do it every day. I can't break my habit now, or I'll never get to know it like I want to..."

"Honey, it'll still be there when you get better. I promise."

She sighed, knowing that her mother didn't know that she was actually talking about Gaara. "You're right, mom. I...I'm kind of tired now."

"Eat some soup then, honey, and go to sleep."

"Ok..."

She managed to eat about a fourth of the soup before she fell asleep again.

Gaara, meanwhile, was sitting on their roof, watching her door sadly with the closed-off expression beginning to reappear in his eyes. 'She hasn't come for three days now. She's not going to come back. I might as well just give up...'

Although he told himself that, he just couldn't give up that easily.

The next morning, Sachi woke up early. She looked across her room to the clock as she cleared the sleep from her eyes. 'Six o'clock...AM or PM?' She listened quietly for a minute. 'Birds chirping...it's morning.' She sighed. 'Gaara...he's probably given up on me by now...' She frowned angrily and determinedly. 'I can't let that happen! I've worked too hard to get him to trust me...and I care about him too much! I gotta explain...'

She wasn't really aware of what she was doing. There was one thought in her head, and one thought only.

'I'm _not_ letting him go.'

Shakily, she stood on wobbly knees, using the wall to support herself across the room. Quietly, she snuck down the stairs and out the door, leaning heavily on walls the whole way. She knew her parents would be sleeping still, but she went as fast as her illness would permit. She made it out the door, only stumbling once on the trip down the stairs. The hard work was just starting, however, because now she had to cross the street unaided. She made it across the street and halfway into the alley before she fell down, gasping for breath.

She rolled onto her back and looked up at the sky, so blue between the tops of the buildings. She sighed, breathing hard, holding her heaving stomach. 'No...Gaara...I'm _so_ close to him, but so far...'

Her knees felt like jelly to her still, and she was shivering all over despite the heat of the desert. She frowned, breathing heavily through her mouth. Then, she turned onto her stomach and threw up off to the side. She wiped her mouth off with her arm, then set her expression. Her legs wouldn't support her whole weight...but that didn't mean she couldn't crawl.

She crawled carefully through the alley and halfway across the street before her legs gave out entirely. She knew she'd be there for an hour or two before anyone discovered her, and she also knew that after, as her mother would put it, 'this little stunt', she wouldn't be allowed out of the house, even after she was better, for at least two weeks anyway. 'I've got to go on. If I don't make it now...I never will. Time...I have no time to waste.'

Thinking this, she dragged herself across the street using her arms. It went painfully slow, and rocks added even more pain to the brushburn her thin pajamas weren't protecting her from getting. Her hands began to bleed from the strain they were being put under. But Sachi didn't care. The only thought in her mind was getting to Gaara, and she was going to do it, no matter what the cost.

Finally, she was at the foot of the building. "Gaara!" She yelled. "Gaara!"

'Ah, fuck...he can't hear me...' She felt ready to cry. 'Then how the hell am I supposed to get up there?'

In the meantime, Gaara had been sitting there, watching the sunrise sadly. 'Sachiko...she's not coming back. I should've known it. Those village kids have gotten to her and changed her into one of them. I always thought she was different...but I guess not. She's always told me to have faith in her...but this time...I can't. She's not coming back.' He paused, thinking he heard her voice calling his name, but he sighed. 'Just a memory...'

Sachi sat back against the wall in frustration. 'How the fuck am I getting to the top of some very tall object? There's no way! It's not like I can climb up a wall-' She frowned. 'Der.'

Routing her chakra to her palms, she slapped a hand to the wall, then slapped the other to it as well. Using only her hands, she pulled herself up the wall slowly, but deliberately.

'I'm coming, Gaara.' She thought determinedly, moving another hand up the wall. 'Don't give up on me.'

!!!YEAH!!!

Yeah, like I said, I'm sorry it took me so long to get better and get this updated :( but I also think you should review the poor sick author pity face

:D

Remember...Dragon-Chan loves her reviews!


	13. To The Hospital

Here's chapter thirteen...now OFF TO WALMART!

!!!YEAH!!!

Sachi's journey up the wall continued, taking a painstakingly long amount of time. Finally, she reached the top and pulled herself over, shocking Gaara out of his reverie. She sprawled onto the rooftop beside him, breathing heavily, obviously weakened and sick.

"Gaara...I finally got to you..." She murmured.

He reached over to her and pulled her up into a sitting position, holding her up to support her. She supported herself by putting her hands on his arms to hold herself up, somewhat. He looked at her in surprise. "Why did you do this, Sachi?"

"I was really sick, Gaara, and I still am. I just wanted you to know that I'll never let you down if I can help it, so...here I am."

Then, with a smile, she passed out, falling towards him. He caught her in his arms, holding her gently as she fell against his chest. He looked down at the bloody handprints her hands had left on his arms in surprise, thinking, 'She would do this...for me? Why?' As he thought about it, though, he thought, 'But...does it really matter why? The fact is that she would. And that...that should be good enough for me. She didn't desert me, as I had assumed. I owe her an apology. But first...I've got to get her to the hospital.'

Thinking only about her safety, he held her in his arms as a newlywed would carry his bride into their new home. He looked down at her gently, holding her to him. "Hold on, Sachi. You'll be healed in no time at all."

He jumped off to the hospital, holding Sachi tightly to make sure she wouldn't slip from his grasp. As he sprang away, he traced her journey in his mind and understood without a doubt what had happened to make her hands bleed. When he entered the hospital, everything stopped. Summoning the courage his demon had never given him the chance to show, the Kazekage-to-be continued forward to the front desk with an unconscious foreign kunoichi in his arms. His voice rang out in the suddenly still room.

"She's hurt, and she's sick. Can you heal her?"

Behind him, the room came to life again, but the nurses at the desk stared at him suspiciously. "How was she hurt?" asked one with an undertone to her voice that suggested she thought he had something to do with it.

For Sachi's sake, he kept his temper under control. "She was ill to begin with, very ill. Too ill to walk. She wanted to see me, though, so she dragged herself across the street so she would be able to."

The nurses looked at each other disbelievingly. The older one fixed Gaara with a hard stare. "We're not going to buy some cock-and-bull story like that, but however she got hurt, we'll find out when she wakes up. You just keep that in mind."

Gaara's temple throbbed as his blood pulsed angrily through him, but he just asked, "Where should I put her?"

The older nurse led him to a stretcher and motioned for him to put Sachi down. "Fill out these papers, return them, and leave. No visitors."

"What?" Gaara protested. "What do you mean no visitors?"

"I mean," She replied curtly, "That I don't want any potential killers endangering my patients."

Gaara looked at her angrily. "I would _never_ harm Sa-"

She wasn't listening anymore. Instead, she simply moved away. "I have a patient to take care of. You'd better leave now, or I'll have to call security."

She didn't notice the single grain of sand placed in Sachi's hand.

Gaara frowned angrily as he left the hospital. He turned and angrily punched a chunk of brick away from the corner of a wall. 'I'm _not_ leaving her now. Not after everything she just did to prove how much she cares about me. No way. I'm leaving now, Sachi...but I'll be back. Goodbye.'

He smiled, though, as he pictured her response.

'Not goodbye, Gaara...see you later.'

!!!YEAH!!!

There's chapter thirteen, and I hope you guys liked it! And, a couple people have asked why I was in the hospital...well, you see, we don't know. I baffle doctors on a daily basis! Yay!

Dragon-chan loves her reviews!!!


	14. Memories

Here's the next chapter! Sorry I didn't have it up yesterday, but I was at a party! YAY!

I met this guy...wow. He's awesome! We sang Hey There Delilah. Good song!

!!!YEAH!!!

That night, at exactly ten o'clock, Gaara's eyes snapped open as he snapped out of a reverie. He tracked the single grain of sand that he had placed in Sachi's hand when the nurse wasn't looking. He located it in a room on the west side of the hospital. 'Excellent. A windowed room. This is looking easy.'

Even as he thought that, he was headed across the roof of the hospital to the west side of the hospital. He jumped down past the windowsill, hanging from it by his hands. He pulled himself up to look in, and when he saw that the room was empty except for Sachi, he pulled himself up and inside. He hurried over to her side and sat down in a chair next to her bed, feeling ill at ease since he hadn't been inside for a long time. He picked up her hand and held it in his own.

"Sachi..." He murmured. "I don't know if you can hear me. But, if you can...thank you. For all you've done, for everything you are, for everything you've become...thank you."

Sachi smiled in her sleep, then turned over towards him. She settled back into a deep sleep with a smile on her face.

It was then that Gaara began to feel pretty good about himself.

That night, he sat with her for hours on end, saying nothing but thinking constantly. Finally, when the sky turned the expectant gray that precedes the sunrise, he stood, released her hand, and slipped back out the window. With one leg out the window, he paused and looked back at Sachi. "I'll be back. Tonight." He promised.

Then, he left.

About seventeen hours later, at ten at night, he was back in her hospital room, holding her hand again and watching over her while she slept. He smiled gently, remembering the week before. She had been preparing to jump onto the roofs parallel with her house when a few of the village children came up to her.

'Hey, you're Sachi, right?' One had asked.

'Yes...' She had replied warily, remembering the last time she had talked to a group of Sunian teenagers.

'Is it true what I heard?' Another had asked. 'You actually talked to...Gaara?'

The others had gasped.

Sachi had looked at them oddly. 'Uh...yeah. I talk to him every day. In fact, I'm on my way to meet him right now. Why? You want me to tell him something for you?'

They had gaped at her in surprise. Finally, one had muttered, 'You're crazy! Gaara's a killer! I heard that, once every week, he steals a dog from someone's house and eats it...while it's still alive!'

Sachi had blinked at him, and Gaara almost had been able to hear her thoughts. 'Is this kid for real?'

Another one had interrupted. 'Oh, that's not all! My mother told me that if you stay out past curfew, you'll never make it back because he'll murder you and cut you up into so many little pieces no one would be able to find you!'

Sachi had heard enough at that point. 'You guys are fucking ridiculous. He's not like that at all! He's a lot nicer than the first kids I met here! He just likes to keep to himself. After meeting you idiots, I can see why!'

She had prepared to jump up, but another kid had asked, 'You're not going to go see him still, are you?! Even after hearing our stories?!'

Even from his distance, Gaara had been able to see Sachi's temple throbbing angrily. 'Ok. I'll dumb it down for you morons. Gaara's not a killer. You guys are retards. He's better than most of you, and you're total idiots if you believe the stories you just told me.'

'Don't do it! You'll get killed!'

'Agh!' She had screamed. 'You fucking retards! HE'S NOT A FUCKING MURDERER, YOU DUMBASSES!' Then she had sighed. 'You know what? Just run home to your mothers. I'm sure they have more lies to tell you, since you refuse to believe the truth.'

Then, she had jumped up to see him. She didn't know that he had been watching, and she had just smiled at him.

"So." Gaara had said slyly. "Anything interesting happening?"

"Not really." She had replied. "No offense...but the kids here are retards." Then, she had laughed. "I think I'll have ramen for lunch today. Want some?"

Gaara smiled, remembering, and squeezed Sachi's hand gently. 'You're great, Sachi. Thanks again.'

He smiled again, picturing her response. 'For what?'

'Just for being born.'

!!!YEAH!!!

Aww, he's so sweet to her :) Too bad she's asleep!

Dragon-chan loves reviews!


	15. Enter Daddy

Like I said in Nii-san! 2...

I. AM. SOOOOOOOO. SORRY.

!!!YEAH!!!

Sachi shifted around in her sleep, clasping Gaara's hand between her hands and her collarbone. There was no hint of expression on her face, simply the peace that came with sleeping. Gaara watched her intently, losing himself in thoughts of what it must be like to sleep. In fact, he was so absorbed in his thoughts, he failed to notice dawn arriving.

With the arrival of dawn came her father.

Sachi's father, on his way to see the council, had stopped by early to see his daughter. He had opened her door to find the 'bloodthirsty' Kazekage-to-be sitting in the chair next to her bed, holding her hand. The nurses there had caused suspicion in her father with exaggerated tales of cruelty and by sharing their suspicions about what exactly had harmed his daughter.

As his anger mounted, his face grew red. Gaara could do nothing but sit there in shock at being caught. As her father stalked over, Gaara withdrew his hand from Sachi's and stood, backing away slowly.

"What in the hell do you think you're doing in here, you murdering monster?! Stay away from my little girl! She would _never_ care for something like you!"

He didn't see Gaara's eyes as he said it. The intense pain that showed there would've been enough to convince Sachi's father, if only he had been looking. Quickly, though, he subconsciously deployed a mental defense mechanism.

He got angry.

As much as Gaara wanted to, he refrained from using his sand, knowing that it might upset Sachi if he killed her father. He backed away quickly, even as her dad continued towards him, and he ducked out the window.

"Good! And don't come back, you freak!" Her father growled, locking the window and storming out of his daughter's room to demand extra security posted in the doorway to her room.

He didn't notice the troubled expression that crossed his sleeping daughter's face.

The next morning, Sachi finally woke up. "Whoa..." She muttered sleepily. "What...where..."

"Sachi, thank goodness!" Exclaimed her father. "Good morning, honey! You're in the hospital, kiddo. You've been very sick, and hurt as well."

With that thought, she sat bolt upright. "Where's Gaara?!"

He frowned slightly, wondering why she would ask about the one who had hurt her. Then, he decided that she was just scared. "He's banned from your room, locked out like the monstrosity he is. You've even got extra security that will keep out anyone you don't want to see." He smiled reassuringly. "That little creep is the one who hurt you, Sachi."

He was completely baffled when Sachi's anger flared. "What?! No! That's not how it is, Dad! Go find him, and find him _now_! I want to see him!"

Her father, who had expected a hero's welcome and was now being treated like he was an idiot, was angry as well. "Yoshimo Sachiko, don't you dare speak to your father like that!"

"No father of mine would treat my best friend like that!"

He looked at her in shock, surprised out of his anger. "Your...your best friend?"

"Oh, come on!" She snorted. "You didn't really think that I explored every day, all day, even into the middle of the night?! You didn't really believe that the village kids were retarded enough to hate me because I was from Konoha?! I wasn't exploring, Dad, I was talking with Gaara, my only friend here in Suna because I defended him from the other kids! You really are retarded, aren't you?! You're a ninja, Dad! Just because I'm your daughter doesn't mean I should be able to fool you! You ought to be ashamed of yourself!" She exploded. "Security!"

Two shinobi wearing masks appeared instantly by her side.

"Take him out of here, and don't let him back in until I say so! And...if Gaara comes back, you are to let him in."

They nodded and took her father out of the room. He had a sheepish expression on his face now. 'Oh, no...what have I done?'

Knowing that the only way to make amends with his daughter was to apologize to and retrieve Gaara, he set off to find him.

'Damn...I really screwed up this time.'

!!!YEAH!!!

SOOOOOOOOOO. SORRY.

BD333, out.


	16. Realizations and Reassurances

This is for ImmortalxDreams :)

Enjoy!

(chapter)

An hour later, Sachi was missing Gaara terribly and feeling somewhat guilty for the things she had said to her father. Mostly, though, she missed Gaara.

'I hope he comes back...' She thought sadly. 'And I hope he comes soon. I need to see him so badly...' Tears came to her eyes as she thought of everything she had done for him. 'If I lose him now, just because my father actually listened to those morons...I don't know what I'd do. He's my only friend here, and he's my best friend, no matter what.' It was a shock to her system when she realized that she had used to say that about Neji. 'Neji...I haven't even thought about him in so long...wow. Part of being a shinobi is being able to shove aside your emotions, but thats not all that happened. Gaara's taken Neji's place in my heart. He's not my boyfriend, but I couldn't care about him any more even if he was.'

Just then, she heard the gruff voice of a security ninja in her doorway. "Gaara and Yoshimo-sama are here. Shall I allow them passage?"

She nodded. "Yes, let them in."

He nodded and disappeared. Seconds later, her father and Gaara walked in. Gaara was slightly behind her father, eyeing him nervously. She didn't know why until she realized that he was trying to gauge her father's motives. Gaara, suspicious by nature, would have naturally wondered why a man who had just chased him out the window was kindly asking him to come back. She saw that he was scared, and she felt the need to reassure him.

"Thank you, Daddy, for bringing him back. You did apologize to him, right?"

Her father nodded, and she looked at Gaara for affirmation. He nodded, and she beamed at her father. "Thanks, Dad." Then, with an even bigger smile, she spoke to Gaara. "Come here! I'm so glad to see you, Gaara!"

He smiled uncertainly, not sure if he was allowed to smile around her father, and he walked over to her, edging carefully around her dad. He stopped by her bedside, looking down at her with a smile not on his face but in his eyes. She smiled up at him with both her mouth and her eyes. Then, wondering if she was perhaps pushing her boundaries, she reached up, threw her arms around his waist, and hugged him tightly, her cheek resting against his abdomen, the highest part of him she could reach.

His eyes widened in shock. This hug was different than the ones before. After all she had put herself through for him, just to prove that she would never hurt him, he felt that he owed it to her to hug her. He stood still for a moment, thinking of everything she had done for him. Images of that night in the storm, the time he had overheard her conversation with the village kids, and of her bloody handprints on his arms flashed through his mind, and he smiled at her with both his face and his eyes.

Then, he knelt down on one knee and put his arms around her.

When he did, her heart sang. She knew by the warmth conveyed through his touch that she had finally earned his trust and his caring. She smiled, thinking, 'I wonder what those village idiots would think now? I'm hugging the 'monster' of the Hidden Sand.'

Her father, meanwhile, was watching both of them. 'Well...it seems that Gaara really does care for my little girl. If what she said earlier was true, then he's her best friend here. Possibly her only friend, considering what she told me she said to the other kids here in the village.' He watched them closely. 'I don't know what all you had to do to earn his trust, Sachi, but whatever you had to do, it seems you've earned it.'

None of them noticed the sand beginning to creep out of the gourd.

(chapter)

Yeah...kinda short. You guys want another chapter, or should I wait until Saturday? Let me know!

BlackDragon333


	17. Gaara Attacks?

MistFaerie93 and Dragon of Twilight need to know what's gonna happen...

And here's Psycotic Rabid Fangirl's chance to find out as well!

(chapter)

Gaara's sand had begun to act on its own shortly after Sachi had hugged him. Gaara wasn't doing it, but to both Sachi and her father, it seemed that way. His sand pushed her away from him, throwing him backwards and pushing her down onto her bed. Then, it began to attack her. Sobbing, she crossed her arms against the attack and curled up in her pajamas, trying to protect her already wounded stomach.

Gaara was in shock. He tried to exert control over his sand, casting it back into the gourd and pulling it in with his handsigns, but it didn't work. He backed further away to make it harder for the sand to get to Sachi. Then, he grabbed a pen from the wall and tried to stab himself. As he had predicted, the sand rushed away from her to protect him. When it was in close range, he was able to call it back into the gourd.

Sachi, her father's hand on her head, was crying less from pain than from what she thought was a betrayal of the worst sort. "I don't understand, Gaara..." She whispered painfully. "...why?" Tears tumbled down her cheeks to her trembling mouth, then dripped down onto hands that clutched her knees defensively. "Why would you hurt me, Gaara?"

"Sachi, no, I didn't do it! The sand...it was acting on its own, I swear it!" He exclaimed, a horrified expression in his eyes. If she had been looking at his eyes, she would've known that he was telling the truth. However, she was busy looking at her hands, which had been rubbed raw by the sand.

He made to move towards her, but her father barred his way. "Just go." He said sternly. "You've done enough."

Slowly, Gaara backed up, stunned and sorrowful. 'Just when things were going the right way, for once in my life...the sand had to take it away. Damn it, mother! Can't I be happy?!'

He was halfway down the hallway before he heard running footsteps. "Gaara!" Yelped Sachi. "Please...wait!"

He turned to see Sachi running down the hallway in her pajamas, her father and the security ninja chasing quickly after her. As he turned towards her, she leapt at him, tackled him into a hug, and kissed his cheek as he caught her instinctively. She missed seeing him blush because she was so distraught. "Please, Gaara, don't leave! I know you didn't do it on purpose, and I believe you about the sand, so please, stay here!"

He reached a hand up to her face to brush her hair back and felt her tears on her cheeks. He looked down at her sadly, brushed the tears away, and smiled at her. "I'll stay, if you say you forgive me."

She gave him a watery smile. "I won't say it. There's nothing to forgive."

He smiled at her happily. They began to walk back towards her room, but she fell against the wall soon after.

"Sachi-!"

"It's ok, it's ok, I'm fine! I'm just a little dizzy, that's all, Gaara."

He raised a missing eyebrow in doubt, then lifted her bridal-style and began to carry her to her room. The security ninja glanced doubtfully at her father, unsure as to whether they should allow this, and her father was doubtful as well. He, however, was determined to give his daughter's best friend a chance. He waved back the security ninja and waited to see just what Gaara of the Desert would do.

Sachi squeaked, feeling like she was going to fall, and threw her arms around Gaara's neck, holding tightly to him. He chuckled, shocking Sachi, her father, the security ninja, and the nurses, who were watching this whole thing with disapproval. "I'd never let you fall, Sachi."

She grinned sheepishly. "Automatic reaction."

They brushed past her father and the security ninja, and Gaara laid her down gently on her bed. She smiled as she removed her arms from his neck. As he pulled away, he paused a few inches from her face.

She looked up at him innocently. 'Is he...is he going to kiss me? Oh...oh god...I don't know about this...I mean, I love him a lot, but I don't know if I'm ready for anything more than friendship. I definitely know that he's not ready. The assassination attempts will end when he becomes Kazekage, so maybe then. But definitely not before then. I don't want to be used as a way to hurt him. Please, Gaara, don't make it harder on yourself...don't kiss me...not now, anyway.'

Gaara, as if he had heard her thoughts, moved away quickly. He hadn't actually heard her. He was, however, thinking that her father would draw the line at that. Also, he was too afraid of losing her friendship if he overstepped his boundaries. His mind kept moving back to the kiss on the cheek she had given him in the hallway, making him wonder if she felt the same way about him as he did about her.

"Well, honey..." Said her father. "I have an overnight mission that I've got to go on. I've got a feeling you'll be released later today, and I know you'll be home before I am, so I'll see you in a day."

He kissed her forehead, ruffling her hair teasingly as he did. She frowned, but laughed a few seconds later. Then, he straightened up and looked at Gaara, who looked back at him apprehensively.

Her father looked sadly at Gaara. "It seems I've misjudged you. I went by the rumors people told me instead of getting to know you, as my daughter tried to teach me to do. I apologize for that, Gaara. Someday, I hope, you'll forgive me."

With those words lingering in the air, Sachi's father left the room and dismissed the security ninjas. Gaara stood in shocked silence until Sachi laughed.

"You look pretty surprised, Gaara." She smiled, reclining assuredly. "Don't seem so shocked. You're a great person, if someone would just take the time to get to know you."

He smiled.

Then, he sat down beside his best friend's hospital bed and began to talk with her, happily imagining when she would get out of the hospital.

(chapter)

You guys seem to be enjoying fluff lately, so I hope that satisfied you :D

Blackdragon333 loves reviews...so review! PLEASEEEEEE? I'll write faster if I get more reviews ;D


	18. Stupid Nurse!

I'd like to start this chapter by saying "Thanks for the reviews!"

So..."Thanks for the reviews!"

And I'd also like to warn you: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS LOTS O' FLUFF!

I hope no one minds. I think Gaara deserves some fluff after such a long time of no lovin':)

Oh...and I've got a new story up! It's called Suicide and Psychos...it also is GaaraxOC. Check it out if you'd like :) and if you like ItaxOC, IruxOC, or KakaxOC, read Nii-san! and Nii-san! 2: Nori's Choice. They're my favorites:)

ON WITH THE CHAPTER!!!

!!!!YEAH!!!!

The older nurse came in from her station soon after Sachi's father had left, interrupting laughter between Sachi and Gaara. Sachi looked up in surprise. "Yes?"

"I'd like to hear your side of the story, if that's alright." Said the nurse kindly. "Could you tell me how you got hurt?"

Sachi, missing the look Gaara gave the nurse and the look she gave him in return, smiled back sweetly. "Sure! Well, you see, I was already sick, but I really wanted to see Gaara, so I waited until my parents were asleep and I snuck out of the house to go see him. I fell down and had to drag myself, so I got brushburns and stuff."

Gaara smirked at the nurse, knowing that she was stunned that he had been telling the truth. She was watching him in surprise. In shock, she blurted, "How can you care about the monster of Suna?!"

Instantly, Sachi's kindness was gone. Her eyes hardened, her smile disappeared into a hard, thin line of a mouth, and everything about her became angry in general. Even her tone. "Easily. Now get what you came for and leave."

The nurse looked shocked at being openly reprimanded, so she murmured, "You'll be released tomorrow morning if the doctor feels you are healthy enough."

She backed out the door slowly, half expecting to have something thrown at her by the kunoichi who was now so angry she was sitting as stiffly as a board on her bed. As soon as the nurse shut the door, a furious Sachi threw her pillow across the room where it thudded into a wall, screaming, "Motherfucker!"

Gaara stood, retrieved her pillow, and brought it back to her. As he fluffed it behind her, he raised an eyebrow and asked, "What was that about?"

She looked at him incredulously. "Didn't you hear her?"

"Yes. Why would that anger you? She was quite civilized to you."

"So?" She said. "Part of being a best friend is defending your best friend when people say things like that. If she can say such horrible things about you, there's no reason for me to like her."

After a long pause, Gaara smiled wistfully. "Sachi?"

"Yes?"

He grinned. "...why didn't you move here sooner?"

She burst into laughter. "I don't know, Gaara, but I sure wish I had!"

He laughed as well. "I wish that too."

Then, her smile faded. "Gaara...why did your sand attack me like that?"

"Well...the sand wants to protect me. You and I are awfully close, and it must have sensed that. I think it was just an automatic reaction, like I only just subconsciously realized that we're friends. I'm not used to affection, so...it was just an overload to my system, that's all."

"Oh. Well...it won't do it again, will it?"

"No. No, I don't think so."

She smiled. "Then it's alright."

For a while after that, they sat silently, looking around at her room, taking everything in, from the view out the window to the flowers on her windowsill to the plants over on the table near the door. About half an hour later, Gaara looked back at Sachi and smiled, chuckling. "Sachi."

"Hmm?" She murmured sleepily.

"Go to sleep now."

She frowned in a tired manner. "Gaara, no...I don't wanna..."

"Go to sleep, Sachi."

"Huh-uh."

He stood and walked the few steps over to her bedside. He pushed her down gently and pressed the button to recline her bed. She complained sleepily the whole way down, and even as he fluffed her pillow and covered her gently with the thin blanket. Even as her eyes shut, she tried to hold them open.

"Gaara, no...come on..."

He just smiled and shook his head. He was confused, however, when she slid over to the far side of the bed. With laughter in his voice, he asked, "What are you doing?"

His laughter faded, however, as she slid her arms out from under the blanket, held his hand in hers, and pulled him down to sit beside her. She slid her arms around his neck and drew him down beside her so his head was resting on the pillow next to her head. She withdrew her arms, folding one between them and placing the other across him. Then, she looked up into his eyes with a sleepy smile. "Lay with me?"

He looked down into her eyes, wondering what to do. His eyes were wide, his heart was thudding, and his brain was screaming thoughts at him so quickly that he didn't know what they were saying. He was confused, but happy, but in shock, all at the same time. Instead, he looked down and whispered the only thing he knew to say.

"Mmhmm."

Wondering if he was going to regret it later, he slid an arm under her neck and the other around her waist. He laid there, looking down into sleep-softened blue eyes. He smiled at her, then brushed her bangs back and kissed her forehead gently. "Sachi?" He murmured so close to her forehead she could feel his lips brushing her skin.

"Yeah, Gaara?"

"Go to sleep now."

"...ok, Gaara."

So saying, she snuggled up to him and shut her eyes, falling asleep within seconds. He smiled tenderly, gently playing with her hair. He took a second and reflected upon just how odd it was that he, Gaara, the future Kazekage, was lying in a hospital bed with a foreign kunoichi while an angry and suspicious nurse lurked at the desk just down the hallway. Then, she smiled in her sleep, and all of his thoughts stopped, besides one.

'Sachi...I _do_ care for you. Remember that.'

!!!YEAH!!!

So, that was the chapter. Remember, Dragon-chan loves reviews! She'd also love you to read the afore-mentioned stories ;)

BD333, out!


	19. The Kiss

Sorry Sorry Sorry!!!! Ok, so here's what happened, no lie. I actually have an excuse for it this time lol. Ok, so here it is. Well, I accidentally hit the PC recovery button ; So everything on my computer got erased. Well, we called the computer guys, and they said that I could never get anything back and it was gone forever. So i was like 'MOTHERFUCKER' and I cried for like four nights. Well, I finally got up the courage to get back on it, and I was like 'Wait!' Cuz I remembered something, right? So, I went into the C drive, and in less than two minutes (NO exaggeration) I had found everything I lost.

STUPID COMPUTER GUYS!

Anyway.

&&Chapter&&

Early the next morning, Gaara woke up. Not in the way Sachi would have woken up, because he hadn't been asleep. He had, however, gone into a meditative state, and while he was in this state, he was unaware of what was going on around him. He was simply calm. When he came out of his calm state of mind, he looked down and was vaguely surprised to see Sachi still in his arms.

'So...it wasn't just a daydream after all...' He tightened his grip on her, surprising himself. He stopped for a second to think about everything. 'I...really do care about her. I care about her as more than a friend, I'm sure. But...is it because of her, or is it because she's the first person who truly cares about me? I _don't_ want to make a mistake that will end up hurting her and driving us apart, because besides losing her as a girlfriend, I would more than likely lose her as a friend as well, and she's the only one I've got. But...the way I feel about her...it _can't_ be normal!' He smiled cynically. He exhaled quickly through his nose as he pressed his lips to her forehead and left them there for his next thought. 'But...then again...what would I know about normalcy?'

He removed his lips and touched his forehead gently to hers, looking down at her closed eyes intently and intensely. He watched her closely, wondering just what the future held for the both of them. He didn't have to wait very long to find out, though, because at that moment, her eyes snapped open. Knowing that she could now be held accountable for her actions because she was awake versus last night when she had been nearly asleep, he waited in silent tension. He felt it when her heart started to pound, he felt it when her pulse quickened, and he heard it when her breath caught in her throat. He saw her eyes widen. Then, her eyes closed partway. Timidly, as if she were afraid, she moved her lips closer and closer to his. She felt his heartrate increase to match hers, and that gave her confidence. Knowing that he was ok with it, she touched her lips to his gently. And Sabaku no Gaara, the Kazekage-in-training of Sunagakure, pressed his lips back against hers.

They heard the door creak open, and instantly pulled back. Sachi, more experienced with the ways of tricking the adult world, instantly feigned sleep. Gaara, on the other hand, simply turned his head to face the nurse.

She was looking at him with an angry glare, swelling in anger the whole time. "Young man!" She began angrily. "I have never, in all my years as a nurse, had-"

Sachi frowned in her 'sleep' and 'yawned', opening her eyes. "What's going on?"

"You two are both in _big_ trouble!"

"For what?" asked Sachi, eyes wide and the picture of innocence.

The nurse faltered, thrown off by Sachi's facade of naivety. "You're...sleeping in the same bed. That would imply that...well..."

Sachi's eyes got even wider, and she added an indignant air to her tone. "Oh, no, I would never! No way! That's so gross! I had a nightmare last night, and I asked him to lay down with me while I slept because I was scared and I thought that maybe if I had another nightmare, he could make sure I wasn't scared. I'd never do...that!" She shook her head vehemantly. "Besides that, he's on top of the blanket and I'm underneath it. I'm apalled that you would even suggest something like that! This sort of thing _never_ would have happened in Konoha!"

The nurse paled, knowing that she could lose her job if she endangered the diplomatic relationships between their two countries. "Oh, yes, I'm very sorry, Yoshimo-san, I just wasn't thinking clearly, that's all."

Sachi frowned and mumbled, "This kind of misunderstanding never happens in Konoha." But she shrugged. "Whatever. Can I go home yet?"

The nurse, worried to near-tears, nodded, wringing her hands. "Of course, yes, that's what I was coming in to tell you. You may go home as soon as you're ready."

Sachi nodded. "Good."

The nurse left apologetically, closing the door behind her. The second Sachi knew she was out of earshot, she burst out laughing.

Gaara looked at her oddly. "What...how...how did you know to...that it would work?"

Sachi smirked. "I've been fooling adults for fourteen years, Gaara. I'm pretty good at it if I do say so myself."

He smirked as well. "I agree."

Sachi slid out from under the covers to stand up. She looked down at her wrinkled pajamas and laughed. "I gotta get home and get into some clothes."

His eyes smiled for him in response.

She looked up at him, suddenly apprehensive. "Hey...do you think...can you...could you possibly...walk me home?"

He looked at her in mild surprise. "Of course, but why do you want me to walk you?"

"Well, I...I mean, I kinda fell a little in the hallway yesterday, and...I'm kinda scared I might fall again. But this time, there wouldn't be a wall there to fall on, and I'm not exactly the most popular kid in the village. If they found me helpless and on the ground, who knows what they'd do. And, well, Dad's gone on a mission, and you're here anyway, so...?"

Gaara knew from experience that her fears weren't unfounded. It was hard even for him to tell what the shinobi from his village would do. He smiled at her sadly. "Yes, Sachi. Of course I'll walk you home."

She smiled widely. "Thanks, Gaara!"

He smiled back. "Now...let's get you out of this dump."

Sachi laughed. "Now you're talking!"

&&Chapter&&

If you'd like another chapter, tell me! I'll put it up tonight if you'd like :)

BlackDragon333


	20. To The Left

This chapter is for Satoke.Luna! I'm glad she likes the story

&&Chapter&&

"Hey, Sachi...are you ok?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine, Gaara. Why do you ask?"

"You're lagging behind."

It was true. Sachi had started slowing her pace when they were about two blocks away from the hospital. They still had a good ten blocks to go, and Sachi was showing no signs of reenergizing.

"Ok, maybe I am, just a little bit, but it's not that bad. I'll be fine."

He just raised an eyebrow in response.

"No, really! I mean it! I'll be fine, I promise."

"Do you need to rest?"

"No. I'm fine."

"Okay..."

About two blocks later, Sachi was going at a snail's pace, and Gaara was a few steps ahead of her. Suddenly, he moved over in front of her and knelt down quickly. When she tripped over his back, he stood and began to walk, carrying her on his back, on top of the gourd, towards her house.

"Gaara!" She gasped quickly. "Put me down! I can walk just fine!"

"Really? Because it seems to me that at your current speed, I could walk faster than you could run." She frowned in response, and he chuckled. "That's what I thought."

She sighed and rested her chin on his shoulder, tilting her head so it rested against his. "Okay, you win this round. But only because I'm too tired to argue."

He simply snorted in response, though he was smiling. He was glad that she couldn't see his face because he was blushing, thanks to the fact that her head was so close to his. She was blushing slightly as well, but that was only because she was wondering what the villagers would think when they saw the two of them walking like that.

Gaara's mind was going a mile a minute. 'She kissed me. That means she cares for me as more than a friend. But...her father and mother...they won't like this. And besides that...she could end up getting put in harm's way because of me. I can't kiss her again. Not until my village gives up on killing me.'

Yawning, she stretched her arms over his shoulders to clasp her hands below his neck. She held on tightly, in fear of falling and injuring herself. Gaara reached a hand up and held onto her clasped hands, readjusting her position on his back between the gourd and his back. It was about that time when she realized that her hands were on his chest. She ignored that, however, trying not to blush.

The memory of their kiss earlier that morning was throwing Sachi off. 'I can't believe I...I did that. Not only am I endangering myself, I'm also endangering him. No matter _what_ happens after today, I can't kiss him again. I can't. At least not until he becomes Kazekage.'

He came to a crossroads and paused. For the life of him, he couldn't remember what way he had to go to get to her house. He turned his head to the left, towards her, to ask her which way to go, but just as he did that, she turned her head to the right, fidgeting uncomfortably.

Gaara's heart stopped beating for a split second, but when it resumed, it beat faster than ever. Sachi's eyes widened and her face went beet-red. Normally, that would be an odd thing to do at the spur of the moment. However, it was perfectly normal.

Especially seeing as how their lips were pressed tightly together.

Neither of them had shut their eyes, completely unprepared for the sudden feeling of the other's lips on theirs. Now, their rather wide eyes stared into each other's, and they didn't move for a split second longer than was necessary. Sachi moved first, mortified and blushing deeply. She pulled away from Gaara's lips and turned her head to the left, blushing badly. Gaara pulled back a millisecond after she did, turning his head to the right, wide-eyed and red-cheeked. After an awkward few seconds, he readjusted her position again, turned his face to hers, and quietly asked, "What way do I go?"

She looked back at him and looked into his eyes, her eyes bright, shining, and full of promises, full of the things that they could, and would, become.

Then, she smiled.

"To the left."

&&Chapter&&

Well, that was it! I hope you guys liked it. It might be longer between updates now, seeing as how I'm working on a story called 'Suicide And Psychos'. It's also dealing with Gaara, if you'd like to check it out!

BlackDragon333


	21. Meeting Her Mother

Hey hey! It seems like FOREVER since I've updated this! But I've been working on Nii-san! 2: Nori's Choice and Suicide and Psychos a lot, so that could be why. ;

Anyway!

!!YEAH!!

Gaara stopped in front of Sachi's door and knelt down to let her off of his back. The whole way across town, they had endured the stares of every kind of villager, from citizen to Genin to Jounin. Their stares normally wouldn't have affected either of them, but after their kiss, they were both rather susceptible to embarrassment. Getting down, Sachi stumbled slightly, making Gaara realize just how tired she was. He pressed his hand into the small of her back supportively. "Come on, let's get you inside."

She smiled. "I'm sick, Gaara, I'm not an invalid."

Even so, she leaned heavily on his shoulder as she reached out her hand to open the door. However, just as she reached out her hand, the door was opened from the inside. Her mother stood there, a surprised look on her face at who had escorted her daughter home. She quickly masked it and exclaimed, "Sachi! Honey, you're home!"

She pulled Sachi through the door, turned to her, and hugged her tightly. "Oh, I was so worried! I'm so glad you're better! I thought I heard you out there, but I was sure I was only imagining your voice, I wanted to hear it so much-!"

"It's ok, mom." Sachi laughed. "I'm here."

Gaara watched needily as Sachi hugged her mother. Sachi's mother didn't notice, as she was turned away from him and completely swept up in her daughter's arrival, but Sachi did. Her brow furrowed thoughtfully. 'I wonder why he's watching us like that?'

The more she thought about it, though, the more she realized what must be going through his head. 'I have so much more than he does...maybe not moneywise, but I have the important things. I have a mother and a father, a family that loves me. I have a warm, friendly home to go to, and a pet to keep me company when I'm alone. The villagers do despise us both...but they fear him, while they just hate me. They tolerate me because of diplomatic immunity, but they try to kill him. What must it be like to live like that?'

Sachi, who had always prided herself on being empathetic and understanding, had no idea. She didn't have any more time to ponder that, however, because her mother released her just then and turned to Gaara. Sachi's eyes widened quickly, everything about her body language screaming 'uh-oh!', but her mother simply said, "I'm Yoshimo Nari. You must be the Kazekage."

"Not yet. Fifteen days from now, I'll be instated." replied Gaara.

"Your birthday's in fifteen days?" Asked Sachi.

"Yes." Gaara answered.

Sachi had forgotten that Gaara shuttered his emotions around other people, and she was a bit annoyed by his responses, but she forgave him almost immediately. She went over to him, pulled him over to stand beside her in the hallway, and turned towards her mother, shutting the door behind them. "Mom, this is Gaara. He's the one who took me to the hospital in the first place, and he just carried me home."

"Well, Gaara," Said her mother warmly, surprising them both. "Thank you for bringing my little girl home safely." Further shocking them, she added, "Would you like to stay for dinner?"

Gaara looked a little uncertain. He looked from Nari's happy smile over to Sachi. Sachi smiled slightly, slid her left hand up to Gaara's right upper arm, and looked happily at him. "Please stay."

He completely and utterly shocked her when he put his right hand on her forearm, looked strongly over at her mother, and said, "Sure. I'll stay."

"Great!" said Sachi's mother. "I'll go get dinner started then. Sachi, you've got about an hour to rest until we're ready to eat. Gaara, be a dear and take her up to her bed. You don't have to sleep, Sachi, but you do have to rest."

With that, Nari swept into the kitchen and began to clatter around looking for pans. Gaara looked over at Sachi, who realized with surprise that she was still holding onto his arm and let go rather awkwardly. He simply withdrew his arm and asked, "Where is your bed at?"

"It's in my room. Third door on the right." Sachi answered as she started up the stairs. She paused when she saw that Gaara wasn't coming, so she looked back at him. "Aren't you coming up, Gaara?"

"I...can I? I mean...I'm allowed in your bedroom?"

"No, I was going to make you stand there for an hour." Sachi laughed. "Yeah, you're just not allowed in the bed. It's not like I'm going to go to sleep anyway. Come on."

Gaara followed her up the stairs, but Sachi was more fatigued than she had let on in front of her mother, and had slowed down halfway up the stairs. Gaara pressed a hand to the small of her back. "I can help you, if you need me."

"I'll always need you, Gaara," She smiled. "But I'm sure I can handle the stairs."

A few steps later, Sachi was faltering. Gaara noticed, of course, and picked her up and slung her over his shoulder, carrying her up the stairs.

"Gaara! Put me down!" Exclaimed Sachi. Then, feeling him teeter from her thrashing, she realized that falling down the steps would mean even more injury, and she held onto him tightly.

He just smiled, mounted the top of the stairs, and carried her down the hallway towards her room. Sachi sighed, figuring she might as well enjoy the ride because there was no sense in having him put her down a foot away from the door. He opened the door to her room and stepped inside, letting her down a few inches from her bed. She sank down onto the mattress gratefully, then giggled when he remained standing. "Gaara, you can sit down, you know."

He slid off his gourd self-consciously and sat down on the side of her bed warily, almost afraid of being without the gourd, it seemed.

Sachi laughed. "Don't worry, Gaara, your gourd is right there in reach. It'll be there if you need it, you know."

He smiled nervously. "Yeah."

She laughed when he jumped as her kitten, Aiji, leaped onto her bed and rubbed up against her, purring. Sachi giggled and petted her kitten for a long time, nearly forgetting that Gaara was in the room with her. He watched her, entranced by her innocence as she snuggled her face into her kitten's fur. A few minutes later, however, Aiji had lost interest in Sachi's affection and began to take an interest in the stranger on her bed. Still purring, Aiji sniffed at Gaara's fingers, and Sachi noticed that Gaara immediately tensed. She giggled as Aiji rubbed up against Gaara's arm. Gaara still didn't pet Aiji, and Sachi giggled.

"You'd better pet him, Gaara, before-"

She broke off as Aiji jumped up onto Gaara's shoulder and rubbed up against his face. Gaara made a face and rubbed cat hair off his tongue, sending Sachi tumbling into a fit of laughter that lasted for nearly a minute. Finally, Gaara placed a hand on the persistent cat, but Aiji wasn't just satisfied with that. Meowing loudly, he rubbed against Gaara's hand, twining his tail around Gaara's wrist and demanding a more satisfactory petting. Gaara, who wasn't being mean, but didn't know how to read animals, looked to Sachi for help. She just laughed and said, "Go ahead and pet him, Gaara. Just like I did earlier."

"I don't have to...put my face on him...do I?"

"No." Sachi laughed, then couldn't resist adding, "Besides, I think there's enough cat hair in your mouth to make a furball in there." and sending herself into a fresh fit of giggles.

While Sachi giggled to herself, Gaara experimentally nudged the kitten with his hand, seeming surprised when Aiji didn't explode or break or something equally damaging. As he learnt that it was okay to pet Aiji, that nothing bad was going to happen, Gaara relaxed. Soon, he was even at ease enough to look around Sachi's room.

Gaara wasn't sure what a typical girl's room was supposed to look like...but he was pretty sure it wasn't this. Instead of make-up, jewelry, and clothes, video games, puzzles, and a dragon collection adorned the shelves and dresser. Instead of having a fluffy pink room, her carpet was dark blue and close to the floor, and her blankets were a comforting pastel green. The only bright thing visible in the room, besides his own hair and her dragons, was Aiji, who was a yellow-orange color. Sachi caught him looking and looked at him in an ashamed manner, but he just gave her the special smile only she got to see, the one that was completely unguarded and normal.

"Nice room."

!!YEAH!!

Haha fluff. Sachi's such a dork. lol Her jokes are horrible, but whatever.

A freakin' kitten XD

BlackDragon333


	22. Chapter 22

Hey, everybody.

Blackdragon333 here.

First off, let me say that I'm sorry I haven't updated in a very long time.

Next, let me say that I won't be updating in a very long time.

Third, let me explain why, and keep in mind that I'm 15, so I'm not overreacting.

On December 6th, 2007, my mother was killed in a car crash, and my baby brother was critically injured. She was 36 years old, and he's 3. A coal truck rear-ended them. This truck was driven by a man the same age and with the same initials as my mother, and he had two children as well. The owner of the company that employed him was my mom's high school sweetheart.

I live with my grandparents now because my father's a deadbeat. They don't have high-speed internet, and frankly, I haven't felt much like writing, though I did write a poem.

I'm sorry, everyone. I'll be posting this on each of my stories, so don't bother reading it twice, unless you want to.

Well, I need to go now. We're going to see my baby brother, and I should be ready when it's time to leave.

Once again, I'm really really really sorry that I won't have the time or the resources to update. Between cleaning out our house and going to visit my brother, along with school, I just got in the time to write this. I'm sorry :(

BlackDragon333 3


	23. Dinnertime

Hey everyone! I've finally decided to continue with my stories. I haven't updated in a VERY long time, and I'm sincerely sorry for that. But I hope you enjoy this =]

!!YEAH!!

Gaara, Sachi, and Aiji spent the hour in blissful companionship, during which Aiji got twice the attention he normally received, Gaara got more used to being inside a house, and Sachi, besides changing out of her pajamas, got used to the idea of Gaara in her room. It seemed as though they had gotten there minutes ago, but in no time at all, her mother was calling, "Sachi! Gaara! Come on down to eat!"

"Coming, Mom!" Shouted Sachi. She slid out of her bed and stood up carefully, testing herself, but she was sure she was fine. "Ready, Gaara?" She asked in a normal tone of voice.

He was already standing. "Yes, of course. Should I leave the gourd up here?"

"That'd probably be a good idea. There's not that much room in the dining room, you know." She smiled.

He nodded and edged out of her room as she walked forward, then headed down the stairs as she followed behind him. Just then, at the top of the stairs, Aiji twined himself between Sachi's feet. Sachi, who wasn't as steady as she normally would've been, tripped over Aiji, yelped, and tumbled into Gaara, who twisted around to see why she had yelped, and they both bumped down the stairs together, landing in a heap at the bottom of the stairs. Sachi was laying on Gaara's chest, and she painfully picked herself up off of him and moved to the side. "Gaara, oh, I'm so sorry! Are you okay?!"

He raised himself off the ground, sat back, and looked at her for a second. Then, he burst out laughing. Aiji, standing at the top of the stairs, looked curiously at them as Sachi began to laugh as well, although she didn't know what he was laughing at. "What's so funny?"

"A kitten just knocked a Chuunin and the Kazekage down the stairs."

At that, Sachi really began to laugh, and Gaara joined her. Her mother ran in just then, hearing the thumps, opened her mouth to ask if they were okay, and then stopped, puzzled, at their laughter. "What happened in here?"

"We fell down the stairs." Giggled Sachi.

"And that's...funny?"

Powerless to speak, all she could do was laugh and nod.

Her mom sighed and shook her head. "Ninjas."

That sent Gaara and Sachi into fresh peals of laughter, and her mom sighed in exasperation. "Well, dinner's ready, so try to get a hold of yourselves and get to the table."

Laughing, Sachi stood and held out her hand to help Gaara up. He took her hand and stood, though he didn't pull on her at all to stand. Still chuckling to himself, he let go and followed her out to the dining room. They sat on one side of the table, and her mother sat to her right at the head of the table, Gaara on her left beside her. Yoshimo Nari smiled at Gaara kindly. "I hope you like everything I've fixed tonight, Gaara."

"I'm sure it will be delicious, Yoshimo-san." Gaara replied graciously and without missing a beat, surprising Sachi. When her mother went to bring in the food, she looked at Gaara questioningly, and he smirked. "I've got manners. It's just whether or not I choose to use them."

She laughed. "I'm glad you chose to use them for my mom."

"Oh, I'm not using them for your mother. It's for you."

She looked at him questioningly.

"Well, I didn't really think you'd appreciate it if I told your mother that it's doubtful I'll like anything she makes."

She laughed, knowing that Gaara wasn't insulting her mother, just that he was pessimistic by nature, and also that he automatically assumed he wouldn't like something until he was proved otherwise. "You haven't had her cooking yet. She learnt from my gramma, and they both cook like you wouldn't believe!"

Gaara smiled. "I'll believe it when I taste it."

Just then, Nari walked back in and sat a plate of meat down in the middle of the table, then put a large bowl of mashed potatoes down beside them. She went back into the kitchen, but stopped when Sachi asked, "Do you need some help, mom?"

Nari smiled. "That would be lovely, Sachi. Sure." Then, she continued on her way.

Sachi stood up. "Come on, Gaara. Let's go help!" Frowning uncertainly, he stood, and she smiled. "It'll be alright, I promise."

"If you're sure..."

Sachi just smiled and walked into the kitchen. A hesitating Gaara followed.

"Ah, good. Sachi, you grab the watermelon and a glass. Gaara, please get the salad and a glass for yourself." Nari picked up a pitcher of fruit punch and a glass for herself as well and slipped past them into the dining room.

Sachi smiled up at Gaara. "Well, Gaara. You heard the lady." She grabbed up the bowl of watermelon chunks and plucked a glass from her counter. "Wanna get the salad?"

He carefully picked up the salad bowl and picked up a glass as well. He followed Sachi through the door and into the dining room, where she sat the watermelon down, put her glass down, and found a place for the salad when she took it from Gaara, who nervously sat his glass down beside his plate. Sachi slid into her chair, and Gaara followed suit, looking nervously at Sachi out of the corner of his eye. She winked.

"So..." Nari smiled at Sachi and Gaara. "Dig in!"

Nari reached for the fruit, and Sachi picked up the spoon for the potatoes. Gaara, however, just sat there nervously until Sachi smiled at him. "Just help yourself, Gaara. I promise nothing bad will happen." As Sachi ladled potatoes onto her plate, Gaara carefully speared a piece of beef with his fork, getting it onto his plate with little difficulty. Sachi smiled. "See? Nothing bad happened. Potatoes?"

He laughed. "Sure."

Soon, everyone had a little of everything, and they ate in a companionable silence for a little while. Just as the silence was beginning to strain, Sachi's mother asked, "So, Sachi, how was your hospital stay?"

Memories of the nurse, the security ninja, and Gaara's visits flashed across the front of her mind, and Sachi laughed. "It was...interesting. Very...interesting."

Nari laughed as well. "I won't ask. But anyway...did the doctors know what was wrong with you, honey?"

"Well...it was like pneumonia or something. One of those things, you know, viruses."

"Did he say how you got it?"

"Nope." Answered Sachi innocently.

"Well, that's strange." Nari wondered.

Both Gaara and Sachi knew the truth, though. She had gotten sick from spending the night in the storm with him. Gaara was feeling a new emotion, one that he had never felt before. He felt bad, but it wasn't sadness. 'I...feel upset because she was sick. Perhaps because it was my fault that she contracted her illness. Is this...guilt?'

Indeed it was. He shouldn't have been feeling it, but he was, and it was guilt nonetheless.

"So, Gaara, you'll be turning fifteen in fifteen days, right?"

"Yes ma'am." Gaara answered respectfully.

"Will you be sworn in as Kazekage on your birthday, then?"

"Yes, I will."

"I imagine it'll be hard work to be the Kazekage, especially at such a young age."

"Yes, most likely. But I know I can do it. I'll protect this village with everything I have, and, after all...isn't that what a kage is supposed to do?"

Nari smiled. "Yes, exactly. You'll be a wonderful leader for this village, Gaara."

"You mean for _our_ village, mom." Sachi smiled happily.

"Well, honey...I wanted to wait to tell you...oh, but I can't wait any longer! We're going back to Konoha!"

!!YEAH!!

Uh-oh! Sachi wasn't expecting THAT! I hate to leave you guys with a cliffhanger after so long...but I have to. =]

BD333, out!


	24. The Dual Headband

Wow, guys.

I'm SO sorry.

I just realized, I haven't updated anything since like...January.

Seeing as how it's June, that's highly inexcusable.

And, judging by my new tone of voice, you guys can probably tell that I've grown up a lot. Which I have! So I've been working on new stuff, redoing the old, things like that. Much more to come, and quickly!

Meanwhile, here's another chapter of Never Say Goodbye. If you guys like this as an ending, we'll keep it. If not, we can extend it for probably at least another ten chapters! Whatever you guys want.

Thanks a bunch!

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Whatever Sachi's mother had expected, it certainly wasn't the flat, expressionless look she got in return from her daughter as her fork fell out of her hand and clattered onto her plate loudly. "What."

"We're moving back to Konoha! Your father spoke with Tsunade-sama before you were in the hospital, and she's going to call us back and send the Inuzukas instead!"

The more excitedly her mother spoke, the flatter her expression became. Now, she stared at her plate for a few seconds before mumbling, "I'm done eating. I'll be in my room when you're done, Gaara." and retreating to her bedroom.

As she left, she imagined Kiba leaving Konoha and coming to Suna with his family and their dogs. His mother would pick countless fights, as would he, and he would have next to no friends judging by the way he greeted new people. Then, she imagined herself in Konoha, back with her friends but feeling incredibly awkward around TenTen and Neji, which was sad because they had been her team, along with Lee. Oh, god. Lee. If she went back to Konoha and didn't speak to Neji or TenTen, Lee the Incredibly Tactless would ask thousands of questions, as would Gai-sensei the Amazingly Blunt.

Not to mention the fact that she'd be leaving Gaara behind.

She had reached the door to her room, and she opened it, shut it behind her, and threw herself onto her bed, tears springing to her eyes at the thought of leaving Gaara. She began to sob softly.

Meanwhile, downstairs, Gaara swallowed, feeling awkward, and put his knife down. "I'm done as well. Excuse me."

He quietly exited the dining room and began to climb the stairs, and Nari sighed. 'What's going on? What have I done to upset her?'

Just then, Sachi heard a knock on her door. "Go away!" She said crossly, thinking that it was her mother.

There was a moment of pained silence, and then Gaara's voice, sounding hurt, murmured, "It's me."

"Oh. Sorry. Come on in."

Gaara opened the door and came in, forgetting to shut it behind him. He sat down on the very edge of Sachi's bed, next to where she was laying, face down in the pillow. "Sachi?"

She raised her tearstreaked face out of the pillow.

"I'm sorry."

At that, she began to cry. She sat up and slid over to sit next to him, then hugged him tightly and buried her face in his neck. "Oh, Gaara," She cried, her tears soaking his shirt, "I don't want to go! I miss my friends in Konoha, yeah...but I don't want to leave you!"

His eyes were wide, and he sat stiffly as she hugged him. This was a whole new level of familiarity, and he wasn't sure he was ready for it. But as he felt the sobs shake her body, he changed his mind and decided that he could handle it. His eyes softened into empathetic pain, and he rested a hand on her back and a hand on her neck. "I don't want you to leave me either, but sometimes, these things happen. Perhaps your mother got her facts wrong, and your father only asked Tsunade, and Tsunade won't be able to comply with his request."

Sachi only cried harder and shook her head. "No." She murmured, her voice muffled by his shirt. "My mom never gets her facts wrong. If she says Dad got it approved...Dad got it approved!"

With that last sentence, Sachi began to sob even more, lapsing into a wordless fit of tears as Gaara held her close. Unbeknownst to them, however, they were under surveillance.

Sachi's mother stood in the hallway, listening to Sachi's hysterical-sounding sobbing and Gaara's soft attempts to ease her torment. She peeked in and saw that Sachi had surrendered herself completely and was now laying in his arms, sobbing in his shoulder. She also saw that he held her up supportively, watching her with empathetic pain in his eyes. She sighed softly and crept downstairs.

Just then, Sachi's father burst through the door. "I'm home! Is my little girl upstairs?" He caught sight of the expression on Nari's face. "What's wrong, Nari?"

"Toyohiko..." She sighed. "We made a big mistake."

"What do you mean, Nari?"

"I just told Sachi that we're moving back to Konoha, and-"

"You what?! Oh, damn it!" Exclaimed Yoshimo Toyohiko. "I'll be back down in a minute, honey, to explain what happened, but first I've got to tell Sachi."

He sprinted up the stairs, leaving his confused wife standing at the bottom, and entered his daughter's room. "Sachi-! Oh, Gaara, I didn't know you were here."

Gaara nodded a hello, feeling extremely awkward. The man standing before him had thought that Gaara had tried to kill his daughter, and probably somewhere along the line thought that rape had been included in that. Now, there was Gaara, holding Toyohiko's sobbing daughter to his chest while he sat on her bed.

Sachi raised her head up off of Gaara's shoulder and turned it to look at her father, but didn't let go of Gaara, who couldn't let go of her first. Her eyes were red and bloodshot, her cheeks were blotchy, and her lips trembled. "W-what?" She asked, hiccoughing, the sound of a strangled sob.

"Honey, we're not moving. Your mother was...misinformed."

"What?" She asked urgently, holding Gaara more tightly as hope shimmered in her eyes.

Her father smiled. "We're not moving. I told your mother that we were, but that was before I learnt the whole story behind what happened to get you into the hospital. That very day, I sent an urgent message to Tsunade-sama, and she just got back to me a few minutes ago. We're not leaving. I promise."

Instead of running to hug him, as he had assumed she would, she turned to Gaara. "You were right, Gaara! Mom _did_ get her facts wrong! Ha!" With a laugh, she hugged him happily.

Watching her father the whole time, Gaara hugged her back and blushed in embarrassment because her father was in the room. Instead of yelling, however, as he had been sure he would, Toyohiko left Sachi's room with a smile at Gaara, leaving something on the desk as he passed it.

As he walked down the stairs to his wife, he thought. 'How could I have been so completely wrong about that kid? He cares deeply about my little girl, and she for him. I can't believe I ever thought that he would hurt her.' He remembered the nurses telling him stories of cruelty, and he frowned. 'Now that I know him, I know that was rubbish. Well...whatever made Sachi get to know him...it was a good choice. My little girl is becoming an excellent judge of character.'

Upstairs, Sachi was ecstatic. "I'm not moving, Gaara! This is so exciting! I get to stay!"

He smiled. "I heard. I was right there, you know."

She laughed. "I know." Then, she hugged him tightly. "I get to stay, Gaara!"

He laughed as well, a clear, strong, manly sound that she loved to be the cause of. "And I'm glad for that. Your father left something over on your desk, by the way."

"Oh?" She got up to see what her father left for her, and she gasped in delight when she saw it. "Oh!"

Reverantly, she removed her old forehead protector and placed it on the desk respectfully. Then, she picked up the new one her father had left and put it on, facing away from Gaara. Then, she turned to him and grinned. "What do you think?"

He looked in surprise at her headband, like none he had ever seen before. It was normally shaped and normally colored...but it had two symbols on it. The symbol of the Leaf, of course...but it also had the symbol of the Sand. Side by side, together, they rested on Sachi's headband, and she smiled at Gaara from behind it. "Fitting, isn't it?"

It wasn't a question.

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Well guys? Should this end the story? Review and let me know, and I'll do whatever you guys want. I owe you that much!

~BD333, out!


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